Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Thursday, 9 Oct 1997

Vol. 481 No. 3

Written Answers. - Infectious Diseases.

Monica Barnes

Ceist:

31 Mrs. Barnes asked the Minister for Health and Children the reason HIV is not included on his Department's list of infectious diseases and is, as a consequence, not a notifiable disease; and if he will urgently address this issue. [15777/97]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Cowen)

The National AIDS Strategy Committee was established in 1991 to examine various aspects of HIV and AIDS. Subcommittees were in turn set up to deal with surveillance, education and prevention, care and management and anti-discrimination. These expert committees have met on numerous occasions since then and have dealt with a variety of issues related to HIV and AIDS. The question of making HIV a notifiable disease has recently been raised at both the care and management subcommittee and by the regional AIDS co-ordinators.

When the issue was raised at National AIDS Strategy Committee level it was agreed that further detailed discussion and debate on all the reasons both for and against notification were required. Therefore, the National AIDS Strategy Committee and its sub-committees will be considering the question and the associated issues in greater detail over the coming months.