Liz McManus
Question:110 Ms McManus asked the Minister for Health the amount of money spent specifically on HIV prevention.
Written Answers. - HIV Prevention Funding.
During 1992, the Health Promotion Unit spent a total of £236,336 on HIV prevention programmes.
In 1993, expenditure in this area will exceed £350,000.
Health promotion programmes which train young people in assertiveness and decision-making skills would also play a role in preventing behaviour which might lead to infection with HIV (i.e. the Drink Awareness for Youth Programme in the informal education sector and the Substance Abuse Prevention Programme in second-level schools) are not included in expenditure above, as it would be difficult to cost HIV prevention components of same.
In addition to these health education preventive measures my Department, in conjunction with the statutory and voluntary agencies, provides a range of risk-reduction services aimed at preventing the spread of infection.
These include: Outreach services which target intravenous drug abusers, prostitutes and gay men: Methadone maintenance which is aimed specifically at drug abusers and free needles and condoms which are also aimed at intravenuous drug users.
During the current year a special funding of £4.4 million is being made available for HIV/AIDS and drug services. A large proportion of this will be used to fund the risk reduction services which I have outlined.