New Zealand may have the best chance in the world of achieving the world goal of no new HIV infections, according to the country's HIV prevention and support organisations. The NZ AIDS Foundation, Body Positive and Positive Women are pressuring the government to finish a new action plan for sexual health including HIV as soon as possible then to provide the resources to see it fully implemented. Key to NZ's ability to lead the world in achieving the zero new infections goal are our already low incidence of HIV compared with almost all other countries, continued adherence to a high level of condom use, an aggressive HIV testing and early treatment programme and the funding of preemptive treatment for uninfected people who have a high risk of contracting HIV. “New Zealand is in an exciting position to end our HIV epidemic and could demonstrate to the world how this can be done," says Vaughan Meneses, a spokesperson for the NZAF. "In a small country with a low level epidemic we have a real chance to bring HIV to zero transmissions. With what we have achieved so far through condom use amongst gay men, and the new tools now available, getting to zero is truly possible. But to achieve this, the health sector and community need to be empowered to use the full range of prevention tools.” The NZAF Executive Director Shaun Robinson says the government's current strategy is ten years out of date and he yesterday strongly challenged the country's politicians to get behind an updated strategy. New Zealand’s policies urgently need updating,” says Mark Fisher of Body Positive. “Drug funding agency Pharmac is looking at the removal of the CD4 threshold which currently stops people accessing HIV treatment as soon as they are diagnosed. The science is now clear that immediate treatment improves health and helps prevent the spread of HIV,” says Fisher. However, Pharmac has had the recommendation before it for two years and more but has yet to give it a high enough priority to action funding to make things happen. An estimated 600 people around New Zealand currently have HIV without knowing it. "HIV testing needs a major boost across the health system. If these people can be tested and treated immediately, it is totally achievable to end HIV infections," the three organisations say in a statement released ahead of World AIDS Day, December 1st.
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 25th November 2015 - 11:58am