Our Policy and Public Affairs Officer Stuart Smith reflects on reaching the halfway point of the HIV Action Plan for Wales
Two years ago today, the Welsh Government launched the HIV Action Plan for Wales 2023 – 2026. Its publication was a big step forward, setting out a bold framework for action to end new cases of HIV in Wales by 2030 and combat HIV stigma across the country.
The story of HIV in the UK is rooted in Wales. Our Terry Higgins, born and raised in Haverfordwest, was the first named person to die of AIDS-related illness in the UK. In his memory, his friend and fellow Welshman, Martyn Butler, co-founded Terrence Higgins Trust, the first HIV charity in Europe.
In more recent years, Wales has been at the forefront of efforts to combat HIV transmission. Wales was one of the first countries in the world to make the HIV prevention drug, PrEP, freely available through our brilliant NHS. In 2018, Wales became the first UK nation to pledge to end new cases of HIV by 2030, with then-Health Minister Vaughan Gething MS making the announcement at a Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru event. The publication of the Action Plan set Wales in a position to go further, faster.
We are proud of the role we played with partners across Wales in the development of the HIV Action Plan and of the role we continue to play in its delivery. At Terrence Higgins Trust Cymru we led the campaign to widen the number of actions in the plan from 26 to 30 and have continued to advocate for increased investment in peer-support, testing and prevention.
Since its publication, there has been welcome progress, including the introduction of a National HIV Testing Week for Wales and the formation of Fast Track Cymru. However, a key commitment to improving HIV data collection is yet to be delivered, limiting our ability to effectively target intervention to prevent transmission and support people living with HIV to remain in care and on treatment. The government is also yet to fulfil its commitment to fund a national HIV peer-support network. Without this, there is a patchwork of support across the country. Terrence Higgins Trust runs an online service – My Community – where anyone living with HIV from across the UK can access support. Our teams have been working closely with people living with HIV in Wales to develop a Wales-wide online peer support group, with co-production at its heart. The government must deliver on their commitment to a national peer-support network, complimenting existing infrastructure, so that everyone living with HIV in Wales can access both online and in-person support.
Terry Higgins would have turned 80 this year. The progress we have made since his death means that we are now in touching distance of ending the HIV epidemic, something we couldn’t have dreamed of four decades ago. But with just five years until 2030, and less than 18 months until the Senedd election, we will only get to the finish line if we accelerate now. Our advocacy over the next year will be crucial. So if you can, please help us to turn our goal into a reality by donating to support our vital work today.
