The Elton John AIDS Foundation has invested £1m towards a scheme making it easier for people to access pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) which reduces HIV risk by 99%, reports Sebastian Mann, Local Democracy Reporter
A pilot programme has been launched in Waltham Forest to make it easier for residents to access HIV preventative medication.
Contracting HIV can be prevented by taking pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which can reduce the risk of contracting the virus from sex by 99%.
Infection rates in north-east London are among the highest in the UK, and the £1million pilot scheme aims to help reduce the number of new HIV cases in the capital to zero by 2030.
Councils in Barking and Dagenham, City of London, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest are all taking part in the scheme, financed by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, together with Fast-Track Cities, Gilead Sciences and ViiV Healthcare.
Over the next 18 months, clinics will focus on reaching around 3,000 residents – including women, black African communities, and migrants from at-risk countries – who have historically not taken or accessed PrEP.
Councils will launch a digital service for online assessments and PrEP clinics will be opened in GP practices and community settings. Testing kits will also be available by post.
In 2023, women made up 30% of new HIV diagnoses, but only 3.1% of PrEP users in England.
Councils hope increasing PrEP uptake by around 60% will alleviate some of the pressure sexual health clinics are under.
Anne Aslett, the CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, said: “At a time when public health budgets are under pressure, we believe these pilots will show that investing in prevention is not only lifesaving but also cost-effective, reducing the long-term burden on the NHS by averting new HIV infections before they occur.”
Councillor Louise Mitchell, Waltham Forest Council’s cabinet member for health, added: “PrEP is a life-changing drug that is key to reducing and eventually eliminating new HIV cases.
“In Waltham Forest, one of our missions is to ensure every resident lives and ages well. This pilot will support us in achieving that mission by strengthening the free sexual health offers in the borough, ensuring that access is easy, fair and equal for anyone who needs it.”
Though cases remain high in north-east London, the rate of new HIV cases in the UK dropped by 60% between 2018 and 2021.
For more information about PrEP and how to access it, go to shl.uk, AllEast, Positive East or Prepster
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