HEALTH NEWS

UK surpasses UN target for HIV reduction

The UK currently diagnoses 92 per cent of people who have HIV, with 98 per cent of those on treatment, and 97 per cent of those treated being virally suppressed — surpassing the UN’s target of 90- 90- 90. New HIV diagnoses appear to be falling due to better awareness, increased testing, earlier treatment and the availability of PrEP. But this isn’t a reason to become complacent because there are still more than 101,000 people living with HIV in the UK, with around eight per cent unaware that they have it. There are now calls for the UK to commit to ending new HIV infections by 2030, a position once thought impossible.

Brexit worries for NHS

There are concerns among health- care professionals that Brexit could lead to problems with medicine supplies, such as insulin, recruiting and retaining staff, and have a major impact on the UK’s ability to carry out medical research. The European Health Insurance Card scheme, which entitles holders to free emergency medical treatment through a reciprocal agreement between EU countries, may also be affected. Although there may be some financial saving in terms of the amount the UK contributes to the EU, this might be grossly inadequate to compensate for any detrimental effect of Brexit on the NHS.