Tackling HIV also means taking on structural racism, failed drug policy and immigration injustices
- Deborah Gold is chief executive of the National Aids Trust
The HIV epidemic is driven by stigma and inequality. This World Aids Day, as the government publishes its roadmap to ending new HIV transmission in England by 2030, we celebrate its commitments, but wonder if it’s enough while these social barriers remain.
With the right action and commitment, ending new HIV transmissions in this country is possible by 2030. Certainly, the £20m of new funding towards opt-out testing in A&E departments will bring us much closer to that goal. Routinely testing for HIV alongside other blood tests is one of the most important ways of identifying people who may not realise they have been at risk of HIV, and so do not actively seek out a test. It will help prevent unnecessary illness and death and bring us closer to ending the epidemic.
Deborah Gold is chief executive of the National Aids Trust
