The government has launched a new Action Plan to achieve zero new HIV infections, AIDS and HIV related deaths in England by 2030.

Backed by £23 million of funding, the Action Plan will prevent new infections by expanding and improving well-proven HIV prevention activities, investing £3.5 million in a National HIV Prevention Programme over 2021-2024 and increasing access to PrEP for key groups continues.

Additionally, the government will scale up HIV testing in high-risk populations where uptake is low to ensure new infections are identified rapidly. This will include expanding opt-out testing in A&E departments backed by an additional £20 million over the next three years.

Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “We will end new HIV infections in England by the end of the decade. We’ve made excellent progress already with transmissions continuing to fall across England and we are well on our way towards our ambition of zero HIV transmissions and deaths by 2030.

“The UK is leading the way to stamp out HIV and the new actions we are taking – from scaling up testing to increasing access to PrEP – will help people affected to live longer, healthier lives and eliminate this cruel disease for future generations.”

Current HIV prevention methods are working - with a 35 per cent reduction in new HIV diagnoses in England between 2014 and 2019.

To progress towards the 2030 goal of having no new HIV infections, AIDS and HIV-related deaths in England, this new HIV Action Plan outlines more detail on the interim target which will be met by 2025: to reduce the number of people first diagnosed in England from 2860 in 2019, to under 600 in 2025; to reduce the number of people diagnosed with AIDS within 3 months of HIV diagnosis from 219 to under 110; and to reduce deaths from HIV/AIDS in England from 230 in 2019 to under 115.