Charity calls for spending commitment on HIV spending (From Haringey Independent)

Charity calls for spending commitment on HIV spending

4:30pm Saturday 23rd February 2013 in News By Bruce Thain

A national AIDS charity is calling on the council to commit focusing on sexual health after figures revealed Haringey has one of the highest incidences of people living with HIV.

In changes to public health funding coming in to force from April, control for public health budgets will be handed over to Haringey Borough Council, which includes money spent on sexual health diagnosis and prevention.

The National AIDS Trust has raised concerns that within the £17,587,000 of funding allocated by the government to the council there may be no ring-fencing for HIV treatment.

The trust's chief executive Deborah Jack said: “We need strong commitment to HIV from the Haringey Council to ensure prevention and testing continue to receive the necessary funding.

“Disinvestment in prevention and testing would seriously harm public health, especially in an area like Haringey which has a high rate of HIV.”

According to the charity the borough has one of the highest prevalence of people living with HIV in the whole of the UK, with one in every 125 people living with the virus.

The Haringey Independent has contacted Haringey Council about the funding for HIV prevention and awareness and is awaiting a reply.