HIV transmission in England could be ended by 2030, according to UK health secretary Matt Hancock.
Improved prevention, detection and treatment will contribute to this goal, Mr Hancock told an international conference organised in London yesterday by the Elton John AIDS Foundation.
The government is hoping that small investments will accelerate the success achieved by antiretroviral treatments. In the last two years the number of new cases diagnosed has fallen by 28%.
Mr Hancock promised the sum of £600,000 to support a prevention innovation fund managed by Public Health England.
He told the conference: "My generation grew up knowing AIDS was a potential death sentence. That doesn’t have to be the case any more. Thanks to medical breakthroughs, public health campaigns, breaking down stigma and better education, AIDS is no longer a death sentence here. I feel proud that Britain has made such progress."
He added: "But when I think about what’s going on elsewhere, I feel anger that our progress is not yet reflected around the world. We’re all part of the global solution to this global challenge. What we do locally in London, in Delhi, in Nairobi, in Maputo, in Kiev, in Atlanta, in other cities, has an impact globally.
"So today we’re setting a new goal: eradicating HIV transmission in England by 2030. No new infections within the next decade. Becoming one of the first countries to reach the UN zero-infections target by 2030."
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