I am pleased to announce to the House that today the Government will publish its HIV Action Plan, setting out how we will achieve our ambition to end HIV transmissions within England by 2030.
We are at a pivotal moment in the fight against HIV.
Over the past two decades in England, the epidemic has been transformed, and in the last five years we have made major progress in prevention, testing, PrEP use and treatment.
However, progress is slowing. New diagnoses fell by 2% from 2023 to 2024, with progress not benefitting all groups equally. For example, in White gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM), diagnoses fell by 11% from 2020 to 2024, but among Ethnic Minority GBMSM, they increased by 50% over the same time period.
The epidemic we face today is broader and more complex, requiring an equitable, evidence-driven response.
As set out in our 10 Year Health Plan ending HIV transmission is a national priority for this government, supporting the three major shifts our health system needs: from hospital to community, from treatment to prevention, and from analogue to digital.
The Plan I am announcing today has been developed by my department, in partnership with the UK Health Security Agency and NHS England, and informed through extensive engagement with other government departments, local government, voluntary and community sector partners, sexual health stakeholders and – crucially – with people with lived experience.
Our Plan sets out a clear framework for action, backed by over £170 million in funding over the next three years.
It focuses on five core themes: prevent, test, treat, thrive and collaborate.
Through these themes, the plan commits to:
Prevent HIV transmission through equitable access to HIV prevention services.Scale up testing to reduce transmission and protect people’s health.Rapidly linking and retain people living with HIV in care, ensuring individuals can live healthy lives and cannot pass it onAddress stigma and improve the quality of life for people living with HIV.Strengthen the healthcare system to improve HIV and wider sexual health.Importantly, this plan sets out the national, regional and local actions required to accelerate progress and deliver.
It will enable government, the NHS, UKHSA, local government, academia, industry, the voluntary and community sector, and people living with HIV to work together to engage everyone in prevention, testing and treatment, and to tackle stigma.
I would like to thank the many individuals and organisations who have supported the development of this plan, including community partners and those with lived experience. Their insights have been invaluable in shaping actions that will meet real needs and address health inequalities.
I too am very grateful for the cross-party support that has helped shape this plan and for the foundations we have built this on. Working together in this spirit will be essential to tackling HIV going forward and to reach our ambitions. I urge all members to lend their backing to this plan so we can deliver meaningful change across the country.
https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2025-12-01.hcws1107.0
seen at 10:01, 2 December in Written Ministerial Statements.