Waltham Forest (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A new pilot programme in Waltham Forest has been launched to improve access to HIV preventative medication, aiming to boost local health outcomes.
Pre-exposure prophylaxis, or PrEP, can prevent HIV infection by reducing the risk of sex-related HIV infection by 99%.
The £1 million pilot project intends to assist in bringing the number of new HIV cases in the city down to zero by 2030. North-east London has among the highest infection rates in the United Kingdom.
The program, which is funded by the Elton John AIDS Foundation, involves participation from the councils of Barking and Dagenham, the City of London, Hackney, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, and Waltham Forest in addition to Fast-Track Cities, Gilead Sciences, and ViiV Healthcare.
Clinics will concentrate on reaching around 3,000 persons who have not previously taken or received PrEP over the course of the next 18 months, especially women, members of Black African communities, and migrants from at-risk nations.
In addition to opening PrEP clinics in community and general practitioner settings, councils will introduce a digital tool for online examinations. Additionally, testing kits will be sent.
In 2023, women accounted for 3.1% of PrEP users in England but 30% of new HIV diagnoses.
Councils believe that a 60% increase in PrEP uptake will help ease some of the strain sexual health clinics are under.
Anne Aslett, the CEO of the Elton John AIDS Foundation, said:
“At a time when public health budgets are under pressure, we believe these pilots will show that investing in prevention is not only lifesaving but also cost-effective, reducing the long-term burden on the NHS by averting new HIV infections before they occur.”
Councillor Louise Mitchell, Waltham Forest Council’s cabinet member for health, added:
“PrEP is a life-changing drug that is key to reducing and eventually eliminating new HIV cases.
In Waltham Forest, one of our missions is to ensure every resident lives and ages well. This pilot will support us in achieving that mission by strengthening the free sexual health offers in the borough, ensuring that access is easy, fair and equal for anyone who needs it.”
The number of new HIV diagnoses in the UK decreased by 60% between 2018 and 2021, while incidences are still high in north-east London.
How will the pilot measure success and track new PrEP users?
The project will measure how many people initiate PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) for the first time during the time the program operates. This measurement is an indicator of utilization and improvement in accessibility.
The success of the program also depends on how many people continue to take PrEP as directed, attend follow-up appointments, and stay in contact with HIV prevention services. Tracking clients using PrEP for evidence of HIV seroconversion during the follow-up will help indicate how effective the program is.
Clients’ risk of HIV will be assessed regularly to make sure they are using PrEP properly during periods of risk and that they are stopping use safely when risk is reduced.