Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 24 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 6

Written Answers. - AIDS Treatment.

Gay Mitchell

Ceist:

215 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children the measures he has taken to curtail the spread of AIDS since his appointment as Minister for Health and Children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25538/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin):

The number of AIDS cases in all transmission categories has declined since the mid 1990s. This reduction can be primarily attributed to the use of the highly effective anti-retroviral treatments or triple therapy, which prevents or delays the onset of AIDS in HIV positive patients. The most recent data published by the National Disease Surveillance Centre shows that the total number of AIDS cases declined to 21 cases in 2000 compared to 41 in 1999. This brings the total number of reported AIDS cases to 707. There were 13 AIDS related deaths reported in 2000 compared with 17 in 1999. This brings the total number of reported AIDS related deaths to 362.

HIV, the virus which causes AIDS, is now seen as a chronic rather than a fatal illness. However, there is no room for complacency given the recent increase in the reported number of HIV cases. These statistics show that 342 new HIV cases were reported during 2000, an increase of 64% over the previous year. Increases were recorded in all at risk groups.

This Government is committed to giving HIV and AIDS high priority. Since the publication of the first National AIDS Strategy Committee's report in 1992 significant additional funding has been provided to health boards for the development of services. As well as providing primary and hospital care for those infected health boards also fund a range of voluntary agencies involved in HIV-AIDS prevention and care. Since I came into office a programme for antenatal testing for HIV has been introduced. Treatment is available to pregnant women which greatly reduces the chances of their baby being infected with HIV. The programme is being monitored and evaluated to ensure an uptake rate of at least 90%. Preliminary results show that some health boards have already achieved this target while others need to improve the uptake rates.

The National AIDS Strategy Committee, which is chaired by my colleague Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Moffatt, published "AIDS Strategy 2000" in June 2000. This document sets out a number of recommendations for action over the next five years. The committee has three sub-committees – education and prevention, surveillance and care and management. A multi-sectoral approach has been adopted by the committee and its sub-committees, which are representative of the main statutory and voluntary agencies working in the HIV-AIDS area. They also include people who are HIV positive. These committees will drive the implementation of the recommendations. The three sub-committees meet regularly and progress has been made in all areas. Case based reporting was introduced in July of this year and this will improve surveillance of HIV. New consultant appointments in the Western Health Board and in the Eastern Regional Health Authority area will be made in the coming year. Education and prevention initiatives will continue.

HIV is a preventable illness and education and awareness are the most effective tools in the fight against infection. The links between strategies to combat HIV-AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections are important because of STIs being recognised as co-factors in the transmission of HIV. Despite the information available to young people, however, the incidence of all major sexually transmitted infections is increasing and this is obviously of serious concern. The National AIDS Strategy Committee has broadened its remit to cover policy in relation to STIs and it is working on improving the present systems of surveillance and management of these conditions. One of the main messages in education and awareness programmes is that the use of condoms can significantly reduce the risk of infection and transmission.

The education and prevention sub-committee is developing a position paper on the actions required to improve education and awareness and on who should be targeted by these actions. The committee is examining the settings for action including schools, leisure, out of school and any other locations where young people, in particular, may be targeted. This paper will be prepared by the end of the year and it will be the basis for the development of further focused actions. In the meantime, programmes which have been evaluated as having a positive impact will continue. This would include "convenience advertising" which involves placing specific messages in toilet and washrooms areas of third level colleges, pool halls and STI clinics. Leaflets and brochures giving the facts about AIDS and how it is transmitted will continue to be distributed. Programmes especially aimed at the gay community will continue to create a greater awareness among these groups of the fact that unprotected sexual intercourse is one of the main routes through which HIV is transmitted. Methadone substitution programmes will also continue as a major part of the strategy aimed at reducing the incidence of HIV among injecting drug users. In addition, through the national youth health programme, the health promotion unit of my Department continues to support training for youth leaders in the HIV-AIDS education resource pack "knowledge is power".