Source: bignewsnetwork.com<\/p>\n\n\n\n
DUBLIN, Ireland – Ireland has signed up to a global initiative aimed \nat boosting HIV prevention and treatment, and reducing stigma.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The HIV Fast Track Cities initiative is a global partnership between almost 300 cities in collaboration with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV\/AIDS and the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The program was launched in Paris in 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As part of its commitment the Irish government will provide funding of \u20ac450,000 to kick-start the initiative in Ireland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\n funding will support community HIV awareness and testing in Dublin, \nCork, Limerick and Galway, as well as a national stigma reduction \ncampaign, to be delivered by the HSE Sexual Health and Crisis Pregnancy \nProgramme with HIV organisation partners in each city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The \ngovernment wants to reduce the number of people who contract HIV. So, we\n want to make it easier for people to get tested and know their status, \nas people who know their status get treated and are far less likely to \npass it on. I am really pleased that Ireland is joining forces with \nother cities and partners around the world in this global initiative to \nfight HIV. Collaborating in this way will help us to identify and share \nbest practice,” Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“When we \nannounced last year that we would be bringing in a PrEP programme, \nadvocacy and LGBTI+ groups said it needed to be coupled with increased \ntesting in the community. We’ve listened to that feedback. Under the HIV\n Fast Track Cities initiative we will further expand community HIV \ntesting and raise awareness about the benefits of treatment. We’re \nbacking this up with real money; \u20ac450,000 for testing in Galway, Cork, \nLimerick and Dublin and a national awareness programme. By working at \nlocal level we can get to the people we need to reach and bring down HIV\n rates across Ireland,” the taoiseach said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister for Health \nSimon Harris added: “Sexual health is one of our key priorities under \nHealthy Ireland and reducing the number of new HIV diagnoses in Ireland \nis a priority focus for me as Minister for Health.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The aim of \nthe Fast Track Cities initiative is to boost current HIV prevention and \nintervention work. In this regard I was very pleased to be able to \nallocate additional funding of \u20ac450,000 to the HSE specifically for \ndevelopments such as community-based HIV testing and outreach services, \nas well as public campaigns on stigma reduction and promotion of the new\n PrEP programme later this year.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Minister for Health Promotion \nCatherine Byrne said: “Ireland’s participation in the Fast Track Cities \ninitiative reinforces our commitment to stepping up our response to HIV.\n We want to break down the stigma around HIV and make information, \ntesting and treatment easily accessible, particularly for at-risk \ngroups. I am delighted that we could secure the additional funding to \nmake this happen and to advance the work of our National Sexual Health \nStrategy. This initiative will further strengthen the partnership \nbetween the HSE, NGOs and local partners in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and \nGalway, which is key to tackling HIV in the community.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr Jose \nZuniga, IAPAC President, said: IAPAC welcomes the Irish cities of Cork, \nDublin, Galway, and Limerick to the Fast-Track Cities network, and we \napplaud the political commitment made by their Mayors, in partnership \nwith affected communities, to work towards ending their local HIV \nepidemics. We also applaud the Department of Health’s investment towards\n Fast-Track Ireland activities \u2013 an investment that is wind in the sails\n for ambitious plans to scale-up HIV testing, linkage to preventative \nand therapeutic care, and eliminate the barrier that AIDS-related stigma\n continues to represent almost four decades into the global HIV \nepidemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bernard Condon SC, Chairperson of HIV Ireland, said: “We\n warmly welcome the government’s commitment to Fast Track Cities, and \nacknowledge the taoiseach and minister for health’s role in bringing us \nto this important point. This step has the capacity to make a real and \nsignificant impact in people’s lives. HIV Ireland and our colleagues \nacross the country will play our role in helping Ireland meet its \ncommitments to reduce new HIV infections, increase testing and tackle \nstigma for people living with HIV. We are proud that our country is \ncommitting to these goals.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across the four partners in Dublin, \nCork, Galway and Limerick being funded for rapid community HIV testing \nfor at risk populations, the target is to conduct 3,250 tests in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fast-Track\n Cities is a global partnership between almost 300 cities and \nmunicipalities, the International Association of Providers of AIDS Care \n(IAPAC), the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV\/AIDS (UNAIDS), the \nUnited Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), and the City of\n Paris that are working to reach zero new HIV infections, zero \nAIDS-related deaths, and zero HIV-related stigma\/discrimination. The \ninitiative was launched on World AIDS Day 2014 in Paris.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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