Australian opposition announces plan to make HIV history

Canberra Dec 11 (IANS) The country s main opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) on Monday unveiled its plan to "make HIV history".

Announced by health spokesperson Catherine King the plan would see the ALP spend $39.8 million on eliminating the HIV infection if its wins the 2018 federal election reports Xinhua news agency.

The plan includes $7.5 million for organisations to target populations most at-risk of contracting HIV and $2.7 million for pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) trials to be expanded.

PrEP involves HIV-negative people taking a daily dose of antiretroviral drugs to prevent HIV infection. It has been found to be 99.9 per cent effective at preventing HIV infection.

The ALP said the additional funding would make PrEP available to an additional 17 500 people.

A course of the drug can currently cost up to $900 but the funding would reduce that to as little as $4.7.

"PrEP is only available to those who can afford the drug themselves or can access it through state and territory trials " King said in a statement on Monday.

"We have the knowledge to make HIV history -- now we need the resources."

There are approximately 1 000 diagnosed cases of HIV in Australia every year a figure that King said could realistically be reduced to zero.

--IANS
ksk