The government will officially rollout the HIV prevention medication PrEP starting this year, after announcing a funding plan of £16 million to deliver services.
PrEP
The funding follows a plan by the Department of Health and Social Care to end HIV transmissions by 2030. Councils will be able to use the funding to supply their local sexual health clinics with pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) from 2020 to 2021.
The rollout follows the three-year PrEP Impact trial, which has recruited over 20,000 participants and which was the only way patients in England could receive the drug. Studies have shown that PrEP - which is a combination of two antiretroviral medicines - can be 99% effective at preventing HIV when taken daily.
The government and NHS England have been criticised over their handling of PrEP’s rollout in England. Available in Scotland and Wales, NHS England only supplied the drug through its Impact Trial after losing a court case regarding the organisation’s obligations into providing PrEP. NHS England will now cover the costs of PrEP’s rollout.
The funding will both ensure those who need PrEP the most receive the drug, and that those already taking it through the Impact Trial will continue to receive PrEP, once the trial ends in October.
Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock said: "I remember when HIV was a death sentence – and still today, it has a devastating impact on so many lives across the country.
While it is encouraging to see HIV transmissions continue to fall across the UK, I am determined to do more, and end HIV transmission.
So we are rolling out PrEP and making it available across the country – with evidence showing it almost completely eradicates the chances of getting HIV. This will benefit tens of thousands of people’s lives, and drive us towards our ambition of zero HIV transmissions in this decade."
Ian Green, chief executive at the HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust, added: “This is a historic day in the context of the HIV epidemic. It’s a real moment to stop and celebrate a hard-fought victory for PrEP access in England. Today comes at the end of years of fighting, campaigning and lobbying to ensure proper access to this game-changer for HIV prevention. We know PrEP is highly effective at stopping HIV and now it can be properly utilised to make good on the government’s commitment to ending HIV transmissions by 2030.
There is still also a lot of work to do to ensure PrEP isn’t just seen as something for gay and bisexual men and that its clear benefits reach other groups affected by HIV, including women, trans people and BAME communities. As the country’s leading HIV and sexual health charity, we’re fully committed to playing our role to ensure no-one is left behind when it comes to PrEP – because we’re not making real progress if it’s not felt by everyone.”