Sadiq Khan calls for UK government to give London’s health care systems support to end new HIV infections by 2030
The Mayor of London has reinforced his previous call to fund the PrEP Impact Trial
By Steve Brown
Sadiq Khan has urged the UK government to give London’s health care systems support to end new HIV infections by 2030.
The Mayor of London was pleased to hear that spaces on the NHS PrEP Impact Trial will be expanded but said the government needs to do more and at a faster pace to assist under-pressure services provide prevention measures for those who need it.
Last month, Sadiq wrote to the Health Secretary calling for PrEP to be made accessible to all and has today (March 11) reinforced the call to fund the programme properly and to roll it out.
He said: “I’m proud of the work that London is doing to tackle HIV, but I’m shocked that the government is failing to provide local authorities in London with the funding they need to provide PrEP to all those who could benefit.
“PrEP has been proven to help those at risk of infection, yet it is still only being trialled in London and local councils have been unable to accept all of the places.
“The impact will be felt by the most vulnerable Londoners and those who cannot afford to buy PrEP privately.
“If we are to achieve our aim of ending new HIV infections, it is vital that we expand access to proven treatment now.
“That’s why the government must give health providers the support they need and why I will continue to take every opportunity to highlight the damage that cuts to public health funding are making to our ability to keep Londoners healthy and tackle health inequalities across our city.”