The replacement of Public Health England (PHE) by the National Institute for Health Protection, announced by the Government in August, risks jeopardising the progress made by PHE in the fight against HIV, says an editorial in Lancet HIV.
PHE has been "a force for good" in the UK response to HIV, the editorial says, citing the progress made in surpassing the UNAIDS 90-90-90 targets and the role PHE has played through its HIV Prevention Innovation Fund.
The likely impact of the reorganisation on PHE’s HIV work is not yet clear, the editorial continues, as few details about the reorganisation have been released. It calls for sexual and reproductive health and HIV to remain high priorities for the new agency.
The editorial follows a joint statement in August by the Terrence Higgins Trust, National AIDS Trust (NAT), British HIV Association (BHIVA), British Association for Sexual Health and HIV (BASHH), the UK Community Advisory Board (UK-CAB) HIV treatment advocates network.
That statement called for full consultation with HIV stakeholders and protection of PHE’s prevention and policy work. It warned against any backtracking on existing PHE commitments, namely:
- ending new HIV transmissions by 2030 in England
- delivering a national PrEP programme
- considering and acting on the recommendations of the independent HIV Commission
- overseeing the development of a new national sexual and reproductive health strategy.
PHE should be remembered for its work in the response to HIV, not "as a scapegoat for the UK Government's failings in the current pandemic", the Lancet HIV editorial concludes.
