National HIV Strategy

National HIV Strategy

Since the launch of the first government response to HIV in 1989, Australia’s national HIV strategies have been pivotal to the success of Australia’s response to HIV prevention, and the treatment and care of people living with HIV.

Australia’s eighth National HIV Strategy 2018-2022 was launched in November 2018. The HIV strategy is one of the suite of five national strategies to address blood borne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs):

These national strategies were developed with significant contributions from community stakeholders, medical professionals, and federal, state and territory health departments.

The eighth National HIV Strategy clearly identifies priority action areas for Australia’s ongoing HIV response. Within the life of the eighth National HIV Strategy, Australia commits to:

  • virtually eliminate HIV transmission;
  • sustain the virtual elimination of HIV transmission among people who inject drugs, among sex workers and from mother to child;
  • reduce mortality and morbidity related to HIV;
  • eliminate the negative impact of stigma, discrimination, and legal and human rights issues on people’s health; and
  • minimise the personal and social impact of HIV.

Significantly, the eighth National HIV Strategy sets ambitious targets to:

  • increase the proportion of people with HIV (in all priority populations) who are diagnosed to 95 percent;
  • increase the proportion of people diagnosed with HIV on treatment to 95 percent;
  • increase the proportion of those on treatment with an undetectable viral load to 95 percent;
  • increase the proportion of eligible people who are on PrEP, in combination with STI prevention and testing to 75 percent;
  • 75 percent of people with HIV report good quality of life; and
  • reduce by 75 percent the reported experience of stigma among people with HIV, and expression of stigma, in relation to HIV status.

The Strategy is implemented according to an Implementation Plan developed through the Communicable Diseases Network Australia (CDNA), in consultation with the Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Standing Committee (BBVSS). The Implementation Plan is still in development

The National Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmissible Infections Surveillance and Monitoring Plan 2018-2022 reports on the progress on achieving the targets and reaching the goals of the National BBV and STI National Strategies 2018–2022. The Surveillance and Monitoring Plan is still in development.