Vol. 439 No. 4
3 Mr. Cullen asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the results from worldwide efforts to find a cure for the HIV virus; the developments, if any, there have been; the role Irish medical research is playing in the search for a cure; the direct funding the Irish Government is committing to such medical research; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
At an international level, Ireland contributes to HIV research through our financial and other contributions to WHO and the European Union. We participate in the work of the joint WHO-European Union Centre on AIDS in Paris and the AIDS Advisory Committee of the European Union. The Paris centre conducts epidemiological research into the spread of the HIV virus, the results of which can be of valuable assistance in planning the development of HIV-AIDS services. The AIDS Advisory Committee considers grant applications for HIV-AIDS related projects, including those involving research. Both bodies also endeavour to ensure that the member states, as far as possible, do not duplicate research projects.
At national level, the surveillance sub-committee of the National AIDS Strategy Committee meets on a regular basis to monitor developments in relation to the spread of HIV-AIDS. The sub-committee considers and reviews any information, national or international, which is available. It also makes recommendations about surveillance programmes which might provide information about the prevalance and sources of infection of HIV-AIDS in Ireland. At present, all ante-natal bloods are tested for HIV on an anonymous unlinked basis to provide information about the prevalance of the virus in the heterosexual population. It is intended in the coming months to extend this anonymous unliked programme to STD clinics and then to certain out-patient categories.
In addition to these surveillance programmes, bodies such as the Health Research Board and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland commission research projects from time to time with the object of providing further information about HIV-AIDS. Both bodies are involved in research projects where the emphasis is on the primary care of persons who are HIV positive. The Royal College of Surgeons project involves providing a wide range of services for HIV infected persons, including prescribing early intervention medicines and monitoring their immune systems. The Health Research Board project involves research into opportunistic infection in AIDS, with particular reference to such infection in the oral cavities, as the early manifestations of the HIV virus occur there. The cost of both these projects is approximately £120,000 per annum.
Various clinical trials on the efficacy of particular drugs in the treatment of HIV-AIDS are conducted regularly by clinicians in certain hospitals.
I am aware that Ireland contributes to HIV research through our financial and other contributions to the World Health Organisation and the EU. The Minister said that obviously we do not want to duplicate the research carried out by these organisations. Will he outline the specific research on HIV-AIDS being carried out in Irland?
A number of tests are being carried out. We have to be mindful of the relatively small number of HIV-AIDS cases here relative to some other European countries and the proportion of health research money available in comparison to some of our larger European partners. I outlined the position in regard to HIV research. The clinical trials conducted by the genito-urinary medicine department of St. James's Hospital involve an examination of the interaction of AZT with other drugs. A total of £8.4 million is spent on HIV-AIDS services. This is in addition to the normal allocation to hospitals and the community care money which provides some services for AIDS patients.
I am not diminishing the extent of the problem, but I would point out that although the number of AIDS cases here is much smaller than in some other European countries, our population is also much smaller. Given the size of the Health budget, the allocation by the Government for research into HIV-AIDS is not significant in comparison to the contribution of other governments. The level of funding for research is very small and should be increased.
I do not agree with the Deputy. I am very favourably disposed to funding health research in general and for that reason I substantially increased the allocation to the Health Research Board for 1994.
From a small base.
The base was substantially reduced when the Deputy's party was in Government.
I was not in the House at the time.
I am in the process of substantially increasing the funding for this year, a process which I hope to continue. The Health Research Board evaluates all submissions made to it by either clinicians or research authorities who wish to continue a particular project. I am sure the Health Research Board favourably considers all applications for funding for research projects in the area of HIV-AIDS which have merit, which have a chance of being useful and which do not duplicate research work carried out elsewhere in the European Union. I hope to allocate increased funding for health research, which is essential.
In the light of what he said, is the Minister disappointed that the number of HIV positive patients is increasing at an alarming rate in Ireland and worldwide? As we are not getting to grips with the reducing or restricting the number of HIV positive patients, perhaps his Department will consider new prevention measures in this area. Does the Minister have any plans in this respect? Is there any relationship between the HIV virus and hepatitis C and does one lead to the other, a question very much on people's minds at present?
Given the incredible resources available for research in this area, particularly in the United States, there is very little likelihood of Ireland having the wherewithal in terms of resources to find a cure for AIDS. We have marvellous scientists who have contributed greatly to individual research projects, but the scale of research in this area elsewhere is so massive that it would be foolish to try to compete with it. The bulk of our resources has been channelled towards the treatment of patients with HIV-AIDS and to finding more effective methods of treatment, including a better drugs regime, for example, the use of AZT and other combinations of drugs.
Although it is not related to the Deputy's initial question, the question in regard to the relationship between hepatitis C and HIV is very important. There is no connection between hepatitis C and HIV; there is no question of hepatitis C leading to HIV. Tests are being carried out at present to ascertain if people have been contaminated with the hepatitis C virus. People whose test is negative have obviously no infection while people whose test is positive will have hepatitis C only.
