New HIV infection data shows need for continued investment in HIV prevention by all governments

The release today of the official 2009 Annual HIV Surveillance Data shows that HIV infection rates have plateaued in Australia over the last year.

The new research, released by the National HIV Research Centres at the University of NSW indicates that the number of HIV diagnoses in 2008 was 995, compared to 1,051 in 2007.

"While these new figures do not yet constitute a trend. reaching a plateau is preferable to the continuing increases we have had over the last decade," said Don Baxter, Executive Director of the Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO).

He said the slight improvement was primarily due more consistent safe sex behaviour among gay men and to re-investment in effective targeted prevention programs by several state governments, particularly in those programs for gay men where most new infections continue to occur.

"Victoria and Queensland reduced investment in HIV prevention and support programs over the last decade and their infection rates rose. Victoria re-invested from 2006 and their infections have now declined somewhat. New South Wales maintained its investment levels throughout the decade and its rates remained stable. Queensland's reinvestment has been more recent and we can expect to see its effects reflected with some decline through 2009 and 2010.

"All governments - both Commonwealth and the states/territories - must be vigilant not to repeat the previous mistake of reducing investments again."

"Our goal should be to drive infections downwards from the current plateau of around 1,000 per year. This will require modest increases in investments - but that increase will be cost-effective over time through avoiding more cases requiring expensive, life-long HIV treatment drugs."

Baxter warned that the new COAG health funding agreements have rolled the HIV prevention funding into the same funding bucket as the hospitals, making the funding more vulnerable to transfers away from HIV prevention to fix the latest hospital 'crisis'.

"The new National HIV Strategy, currently being prepared, should set targets and indicators for reduced infections and for the retention of the increased investment levels."