asked the Minister for Health if he has satisfied himself regarding the attempts to combat AIDS in Ireland; and if he will make a statement on his campaign's achievements or otherwise to date.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - AIDS Campaign.
12.
The measures taken to combat the spread of AIDS in Ireland can be summarised as follows: epidemiological monitoring of the infection; screening of blood and blood products; training for health care staff and the provision of relevant information to these staff; public information programmes, employing television, radio and printed media; expansion of the sexually transmitted diseases services; funding of voluntary agencies working in the area of AIDS; provision of education about AIDS in schools; and expansion of services for IV drug abusers with particular emphasis on one-to-one contact and counselling through "Outreach".
My Department has been monitoring the spread of HIV infection and the specific measures outlined above have been implemented to take account of the specific epidemiology of AIDS in Ireland where spread through IV drug abuse is significant.
I am satisfied that the necessary available measures have been taken in Ireland. Surveys carried out idicate a high level of knowledge among the public about AIDS. Four hundred and fifty thousand pounds of lottery funds have been spent on special AIDS projects this year. This money has allowed a considerable expansion of the services available for HIV infected people. New STD clinics have been opened. Additional counselling services have been provided. The services of voluntary agencies have been expanded because of the grants of lottery money.
A new Outreach service developed to enable one-to-one contact to be made with IV drug abusers is now being operated by the Eastern Health Board. Officials of my Department attend a number of international fora including WHO, EC and Council of Europe groups to participate in and to keep abreast of developments in the monitoring, treatment or prevention of AIDS which are emerging internationally and which could be adopted here. While we can never say that we are satisfied that enough has been done either nationally or internationally to stop the spread of AIDS, I am satisfied that we have made very real progress, particularly in the last year, in developing our AIDS treatment and prevention strategies.
Can I ask the Minister how many cases of AIDS have been detected in this country and if he is satisfied that sufficient effort has been made to promote an education and health programme for prisoners suffering from the AIDS virus?
Of the total number of cases of AIDS in Ireland, up to 25 October 64 cases had been diagnosed and of these 28 people have died. Out of 20,033 people who were investigated for AIDS, 778 have had a positive blood test. I have not got up-to-date details on what is in place within prisons for prisoners who are suffering from AIDS or for drug abusers in prison.
In relation to the fourth item the Minister mentioned in his reply — the public information programmes — can I ask him if it is a fact that his Department took a legal opinion or if his Department refused assistance to those working in the voluntary sector offering information on AIDS because they suggested the use of condoms? Further, will he specifically answer the question as to why groups working with the gay community were refused assistance —I am referring to the Gay Health Action Group?
I am unaware of any such legal opinion being sought. On numerous occasions I have publicly stated that the way to avoid AIDS is to have one partner and to be faithful to that partner. I have made it very clear that while condoms reduce the risk of AIDS they do not eliminate it.
As regards the Gay Health Action Group, I am sure that in the booklet we produced reference was made to the Gay Health Action Group as one of those groups that persons who felt they might need assistance in combating or avoiding AIDS could approach for information.
Deputy Proinsias De Rossa.
Can I finish the point, a Cheann Comhairle, because it is very important?
Very good, Deputy.
Would the Minister not agree, following the reply given to Deputy Harney, that the community who are represented in the prisons are probably one section who are most at risk and that it is very irresponsible for his Department not to put together a programme aimed specifically at conditions in prisons and the risks that arise for prisoners?
What I said was that I did not have specific information on what happens in the prisons. As the Deputy will appreciate, prisons are a matter for another Department but we can certainly communicate to the Deputy what is available to prisoners in prisons.
In his reply the Minister said that there was a high awareness of the AIDS problem among the public. Can he tell us if he considers that the categories most at risk are as highly aware of the risks as the general public are? Can he also tell us if any study has been carried out on the effects which the various campaigns and steps his Department have taken have had on the incidence of AIDS and to what extent the growth of the problem has been retarded, if at all?
A public information programme was carried out in May 1987 through television, radio and newspaper advertising, and a booklet and free phone service were available, at a total cost of £500,000. Public knowledge about AIDS is being reinforced through a mass media programme and on a more individual level the personal worries and queries of individuals have been addresed through a detailed booklet and a free phone service. The booklet is available through pharmacies, public health clinics and doctors, and the telephone service will continue for the present.
On the question of what survey was carried out, following that information programme a survey was carried out by the Health Education Bureau to determine the effectiveness of the programme. A clear majority of people considered it very good in helping them to understand AIDS. In general, changes in people's knowledge about AIDS were in the desired direction and there was an improvement in people's knowledge of the modes of transmission of AIDS. These findings were confirmed by a survey conducted by Lansdowne Market Research Ltd. for the Sunday Press.
On the question of those most at risk, we would regard drug abusers as one such group who are most at risk and, as I have already stated in the main reply to the question, various measures have been taken in an effort to reach drug abusers in a one-to-one way and the national coordinating committee on drugs, of which my colleague the Minister of State, Deputy Leyden, is chairman, are watching this situation very closely and, in particular, I would refer to the Outreach programme being operated by the Eastern Health Board.
Would the Minister not agree that the biggest failure of the AIDS programme in relation to the combat and spread of AIDS has been its failure to reach target groups such as intravenous drug users? Would he consider looking again at some of the Outreach programmes and the lack of co-ordination with voluntary organisations who are trying to do valuable work in this area because there seems to be a lack of co-ordination in this area at present?
I accept that it is very difficult to reach drug abusers but I am satisfied that much excellent work has been carried out in the past year as a result of funding provided from the national lottery — a sum of £450,000 — to bodies such as the Eastern Health Board for their Outreach programme and to a number of voluntary bodies who are working with drug abusers and are in a position to reach them in a one-to-one way. This is necessary because, as we all accept, advertising public information programmes through the mass media is not very effective in reaching some of the people who are most at risk.
The Minister indicated that a considerable sum was spent on the initial publicity campaign in May last year. In view of the frightening figures he has given for deaths and positive blood tests, is it his intention to establish an ongoing campaign to reinforce the notion that AIDS is an ever-present threat to the well being and health of the community? There is a complacency about AIDS. Everybody was aware of it last year but because the public end of the campaign has stopped, people seem to think that the problem has been overcome. Will the Minister consider establishing an ongoing powerful campaign to underscore the dreadful consequences of this disease for this country?
There is an ongoing campaign, perhaps not of the mass media nature that we had in 1987. Part of the money allocated to the EHB is being used in a private community based Outreach AIDS health information programme focused on drug abusers in Dublin and their contacts with their families. A freefone service is still available and the booklet which was published is still available. This year for the first time a programme was prepared for school leavers because it is my intention and that of my colleague, the Minister for Education, that no child should leave school without knowing the facts about AIDS. At the moment there are discussions as to the measures for long-term education so that children will be made aware of the facts about AIDS before leaving school. Before that programme got under way the directors of community care and the medical officers of the health boards in co-operation with the local school authorities ensured that such education was provided in 1988.
I have a very brief question.
A number of Deputies are still offering. I will have a brief question from Deputy Higgins and one from Deputy De Rossa, and then I will move on to another question.
Has the Minister for Health had any discussions with the Minister for Labour to introduce legislation such as that introduced in other countries to protect victims of AIDS and AIDS sufferers from discrimination in the workplace?
That is a matter for another Minister.
In other countries in Europe the initiative has come from the Department of Health and the Department of Labour together to eliminate discrimination in the workplace against sufferers from AIDS. Is such legislation being discussed by the Cabinet or in the Department of Health?
No such legislation has been discussed to date. I am unaware of any discrimination against sufferers from AIDS and I hope I will not see such discrimination.
The Minister failed to respond to one part of my last question as to whether all of the efforts made by his Department and efforts by health boards have resulted in the numbers contracting AIDS being reduced or if he could confirm that the numbers continue to double on an annual basis and that there has been no appreciable impact on the problem.
I do not have the figures to answer that specific question but I understand that internationally while the number of aids cases is increasing and obviously we must be concerned about it, there is a slow down in the rate of increase. I understand that that is the position here. In so far as I can have specific figures I will convey them directly to Deputy De Rossa.