Questions to the Mayor of London – answered at on 7 February 2019.
How important is ensuring access to Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis as a means to end future HIV infections in London?
The evidence shows that Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective for preventing HIV in groups at high risk of infection, if used as prescribed, and could be a gamechanger in the work to eliminate new HIV infections.
There has been a substantial decline in the number of people diagnosed with HIV in London over the past two years, and this decline seems due to a combination of HIV prevention efforts including correct and consistent condom use, early diagnosis through testing, and prompt initiation of treatment that stops onward transmission. It is therefore important that communities are made aware of both PrEP and other HIV prevention methods.
I welcome the recent commitment by the Secretary of State for Health & Social Care to make the UK the first country in the world to have no new cases of HIV by 2030. However, if this is to happen then a key priority must be the rapid implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective prevention and treatments to everyone who could benefit. I am therefore calling on him to make PrEP available to everyone who is at risk of HIV infection. Full rollout would allow PrEP to be promoted more widely to groups currently restricted by the NHS Impact Trial protocol.
Local authorities would support PrEP as part of an effective HIV prevention strategy but they are understandably concerned about how they meet the costs related to attendance and testing at sexual health clinics. I am therefore also calling on the Secretary of State to reverse the planned cuts to public health grants as a matter of urgency.