HIV charity says the drug cost of treating one new HIV diagnosis would fund three years of its prevention, campaigning and support work
Positive Life NI, Northern Ireland’s only dedicated HIV charity, has been denied Core Grant funding by the Department of Health, placing the future of its specialist services at risk.
The funding decision threatens both those living with HIV in Northern Ireland and wider public health efforts to eliminate HIV here by 2030.
The charity has highlighted that the cost of drug treatment for one person with HIV would fund three years of its campaigning and support work. It says the decision goes against the Health Minister’s ambitions to focus on prevention rather than treatment.
Despite spearheading efforts to tackle HIV-related stigma, increase testing, and provide essential support to a community of over 1300 individuals living with HIV, the charity now faces an uncertain future.
Jacquie Richardson, CEO of Positive Life NI, expressed deep concern over the funding news:
“We understand that the Department of Health had tough decisions to make, but it was always naive to think that the £1.8million allocated to supporting the voluntary and community sector is sufficient. It’s a drop in the ocean. This decision is indicative of the lack of value placed on our sector and is typical of the short-termist approach to the vital work our sector does to prop up the health service.
“We are the only charity working to educate the public around this life-changing condition. While HIV is no longer life-threatening, it is a serious illness which requires life-long expensive drug treatment. Basic mathematics tells us that the cost of drug therapy for just one additional new HIV patient in Northern Ireland would fund Positive Life’s core costs for 3 years.
“This decision is not meeting the Minister’s stated drive to tackle prevention in order to reduce the cost of treatment. It also ignores the fact that the number one priority in the Department’s Sexual Health Action Plan focuses on supporting people living with HIV and elimination of new diagnosis.
“Positive Life is leading on this work, which has made a significant contribution to the decreasing number of new HIV diagnoses in Northern Ireland over the last decade. We also believe that Northern Ireland could be the first UK region to achieve the World Health Organisation (WHO) target of zero new cases by 2030, but we can’t do that on fresh air.
“Without our consistent campaigning and community support, the real risk is that the downward trend in diagnoses will be reversed, numbers will increase and so too will the overall cost of treating HIV in Northern Ireland.”
The Positive Life Chief Executive says people living with HIV, who face public prejudice and social exclusion, could now be left without a voice. Jacquie Richardson continued,
“At a human level, this is a devastating decision for people living with HIV, who already face stigma and isolation. Because of this, our service users find it very difficult to speak out, for fear of judgment and rejection. This funding decision sends out a very damaging message to them.
“Without Positive Life, many will be left without the only wellbeing support and peer community they have – and without a voice.
“My greatest personal fear is the potential mental health impact for people living with HIV. Our service users, whether male or female, and whatever their cultural background or sexuality, all rely on confidential support and a network of others with shared experiences of living with HIV. We’ve worked tirelessly with the Department and elected representatives to progress a sense of worth and value for them in the wider NI community. With one stroke of a pen, this is completely undermined.”
Positive Life NI is urging the Department of Health to urgently reconsider its funding to support people living with HIV and to invest in keeping up the momentum on its drive to end HIV in Northern Ireland by 2030.
For more information, visit www.positivelifeni.com or call 0800 137437.