Vol. 382 No. 1
asked the Minister for Health the total number of deaths reported from AIDS in this country; the total estimated number of people currently suffering from the condition; the progress, if any, which has been made in combating the AIDS problem; the steps the Government are taking to assist research into possible medical solutions to the condition; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
39.
asked the Minister for Health if he will give an up-to-date report on the situation relating to AIDS in Ireland; in particular, the further steps which are being taken in 1988-89 to ensure that the campaign of information and awareness does not lose momentum; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 27 and 39 together.
To date, 49 cases of AIDS have been reported to the Department of Health; 18 of these are homosexuals, 14 are intravenous drug abusers, four are homosexual-IV drug abusers, three are babies born to intravenous drug abusers, nine are haemophiliacs and one heterosexual. Twenty-two persons have died as a result of AIDS in Ireland — four were drug abusers, 11 homo/bisexuals, five haemophiliacs, one was heterosexual and one a baby.
Under the Department's voluntary testing programme which monitors the level of HIV infection in the community, a total of 742 persons were found to be HIV positive, up to the end of May 1988.
A wide-ranging series of measures have been taken by the Department of Health to combat AIDS since it was identified. Measures have been taken to monitor the number of AIDS cases and the level of infection in the community. The blood supply is screened for the virus and blood products for haemophiliacs are heat treated. Seminars have been held around the country for health care staff and literature on AIDS disseminated to them. The public have been educated about AIDS through a national campaign which also provided those particularly at risk with more detailed information through a booklet and telephone service. A voluntary and confidential HIV testing service is available throughout the country.
I recognise that special measures are required in relation to IV drug abusers and towards this end I have allocated £450,000 as a special measure from the national lottery sources to fund an AIDS prevention and intervention programme aimed primarily at this group. The major project to be funded is an Eastern Health Board Pilot Outreach Programme which involves statutory and non-statutory agencies working with drug abusers and is aiming to educate and inform IV drug abusers and their families about AIDS and to encourage them to present for treatment. My colleague, Deputy Mary O'Rourke, Minister for Education, and I have agreed that we should concentrate upon the educational system this year.
A group of officials from both our Departments is currently preparing a long-term AIDS programme for secondary schools. While that programme is being prepared and to ensure that children leaving school this year have the facts about AIDS I asked the directors of community care and medical officers of health to co-operate with local school managements in providing AIDS education to ensure that no child should leave school without being aware of the facts of AIDS and I am happy to report developments in this area.
In addition, the Department of Health are continuing to provide information of a general nature to the public to maintain an awareness about the spread of AIDS. This is being done through a poster campaign advertising the confidential phone service and an information booklet on the basic facts about how AIDS is spread.
In relation to research, Ireland is participating, through the Department's Virus Reference Laboratory, in an EC study of paediatric AIDS and will continue to co-operate with international bodies, in particular the World Health Organisation and the Council of Europe. In addition, in view of the evolving problem of HIV infection among intravenous drug abusers, the Department of Health proposes to co-operate in an EC based multi-city research project in relation to the spread of infection among this group and to the population at large. The proposed project is being developed by Strathclyde Regional Council in Scotland and will involve other European cities where the HIV problem is concentrated on IV drug abusers.
I have had some discussion also with the AIDS fund on appropriate research projects and will be meeting them again to bring the matter further.
