Agenda item

Report of Public Health Consultant, L Makurah and HIV Consultant, Dr Hannah Church.

The Board received a report and presentation of the Consultant in Public Health, L Makurah and HIV Consultant, Dr H Church regarding Coventry’s application for HIV Fast Track Cities status under the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

The report provided information on the following:

• The background to the HIV disease.
• Diagnosis rates in Coventry
• Data regarding Coventry residents diagnosed abroad and newly accessing HIV treatment.
• HIV clear testing guidelines outlining who should receive a test and under what circumstances for primary care, secondary care and services more likely to engage with those with HIV infection.
• A HIV rapid Needs Assessment (2025) which demonstrated some areas of good HIV testing practice, missed opportunities to test, or a situation unknown.
• Details of the England HIV Action Plan 2022-2025, which aimed to achieve an end to HIV transmission, AIDS and HIV-related deaths by 2030, including an 80% HIV transmission reduction by 2025 focusing on prevent, test, treat and retain.  The data demonstrated that Coventry would not meet this target and a new action plan was expected to be issued later this year.
• The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) HIV Fast-Track Cities being an international initiative, bringing together stakeholders, including political leaders, affected communities, health and social care officials and service providers, to co-produce city-wide responses to end HIV as a public health threat by 2030.
• Signing up to be an HIV Fast Track City, sending a message that Coventry was committed to reaching beyond the national ambition by working towards meeting the following targets:

·  95% of people living with HIV infection diagnosed

·  95% of people diagnosed with HIV receiving treatment

·  95% of people receiving HIV treatment being virally supressed to a level that the virus is untransmittable.

·  Zero stigma and discrimination related to HIV status.

·  Led by the Coventry City Council Public Health, a range of partners had explored local support for Coventry to become a UNAIDS HIV Fast Track City.

Prospective costs of not progressing to HIV Fast Track Cities status

Coventry had the opportunity to become the 10^th UK City to achieve HIV Fast Track status and has UNAIDS team encouragement to take this step.  The added value of progressing to HIV Fast Track City status could be shown by considering the costs (health, social, legal) of continuing with the status quo.

Two recent case studies in Coventry living with HIV further illustrated the impact on individuals, the community and wider society.

A Hardy, UHCW paid tribute to the developments in medicine since the 1990’s, expressing concerns that Coventry was behind the curve.

The Chair, Councillor K Caan, welcomed the application, giving the full commitment of the Board to Coventry becoming a UNAIDS HIV Fast Track city.

RESOLVED that the Health and Wellbeing Board:

1)  Support progress towards Coventry becoming a UNAIDS HIV Fast Track city to enable services and community leaders to co-produce new ways of working which enable residents to meet the following aims:

a.  Access HIV testing which meets national guidance

b.  Access HIV prevention treatments

c.  Seek HIV treatment as soon as possible, including for those who are new to the city

d.  Maintain treatment to reduce the spread of infection in the city

e.  Normalise HIV conversations to reduce stigma and discrimination

2)  Nominate a relevant member of staff from each organisation, of sufficient seniority, to attend a HIV development day which seeks to identify new, more efficient and effective ways of working and to thereafter progress these new ways of working.

3)  Sign a Coventry HIV Fast Track City Pledge document on behalf of their agency.