Waverley Care challenge for new Parliament
As a new intake of MSPs take their seats in Holyrood, and the Government pack is shuffled, we’re calling for strong action from elected representatives on HIV, hepatitis C and sexual health.
At the beginning of this month, the people of Scotland went to the polls to elect a new Scottish Parliament.
With the class of 2021 settling into their new roles, our Chief Executive, Grant Sugden, is calling on elected representatives to support an ambitious Covid recovery plan for sexual health and blood borne viruses.
In letters to the new Health Secretary, Humza Yousaf MSP, and Public Health Minister, Maree Todd MSP, we’ve outlined five priorities for the coming Parliament:
- A dedicated Action Plan to get Scotland to Zero new HIV infections by 2030
- The expansion of the hugely successful PrEP programme in Scotland
- Tackling the HIV outbreak in Glasgow, and the wider issue of drug related deaths
- A renewed commitment to eliminating hepatitis C by 2024
- Improving sexual health education for all
We are also writing to all opposition parties in Holyrood to highlight these priorities.
Grant Sugden said: “In the 21 years since the Scottish Parliament reconvened, Scotland has made huge strides in the fight against HIV, hepatitis C and poor sexual health.
“There have been vast improvements to testing and treatment, and breakthroughs in prevention like PrEP and U=U, but we know we’ve still got a long way to go.
“Many of the people we work with around HIV, hep C and sexual health face complex health and social inequalities that can get in the way of them getting support. This includes things like mental health, stigma and discrimination, drug and alcohol use and poverty.
“We’ve seen first-hand how these inequalities have been made worse by the Covid-19 pandemic, so we want to see strong action in the recovery.
“The new Parliament is an opportunity for us to reach out to elected representatives with the power to make a difference. Our work puts us in a good position to influence change – and we're looking forward to working with the new Scottish Government team, and MSPs across the parties to make that happen."
About our Asks
1. An Action Plan for Zero HIV
Today in Scotland, long-established treatments mean that people are able to take control of HIV and live long, healthy lives.
At the same time, continued promotion of condom use, alongside advances in prevention such as PrEP and U=U are helping to drive down new infections.
On World AIDS Day last year, the Scottish Government threw its support behind the ambition to make Scotland one of the first countries in the world to stop all new transmissions.
We want to see the Scottish Government work with partners to develop an Action Plan with clearly defined steps and targets to help turn this ambition into reality.
2. Expanding the PrEP Programme
PrEP is a pill that can stop the person taking it from getting HIV. In July 2017, Scotland became the first country in the UK to make PrEP available on the NHS.
The programme has been a huge success. In the first two years, over 3,350 people accessed PrEP in Scotland, many after visiting local sexual health services for the first time.
PrEP is currently made available to people at the highest risk of HIV and, so far, the vast majority of prescriptions have been for gay and bisexual men.
We want to ensure that these men can continue to access PrEP, while widening access to other groups who are at a higher risk of transmission, including members of Scotland’s African communities, women, trans and non-binary people, and people who inject drugs.
3. Tackling Glasgow’s HIV outbreak
Glasgow is currently going through the biggest outbreak of HIV experienced in the UK since the 1980s.
The outbreak is primarily focused in the city centre, affecting a population of people who inject drugs.
The people affected are particularly vulnerable, experiencing multiple health and social inequalities, including street homelessness, poverty and addiction.
Partners including NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, NHS Lanarkshire, Public Health Scotland, Glasgow City Council, and third sector providers like Waverley Care, are working to address the outbreak.
However, there is more that the Scottish and UK Governments could be doing to improve access to testing, recovery services and support.
4. Eliminating Hepatitis C by 2024
In 2019, the Scottish Government approved Scotland’s Hepatitis C Action Plan, which included proposals for the elimination of hepatitis C in Scotland by 2024.
The plan set out ambitious targets for testing and treatment, and on identifying and supporting the estimated 10,500 people living with undiagnosed hepatitis C in Scotland.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruption to services and will have had an impact on our ability to meet the 2024 target.
We are calling on the Scottish Government to review the existing action plan to mitigate and minimise any slippage in achieving hep C elimination.
5. Improving access to sexual health education
We live in a time where there is clear support for improved sexual health and relationships education in our schools and elsewhere, alongside a broader movement that is improving our understanding of sexuality, gender and identity.
Against this backdrop, our involvement in sexual health has grown from a pure interest in its role in HIV transmission, to becoming a more fundamental part of what we do, particularly through our Wave and SX projects.
We want to work with Government to ensure that sexual health and relationships education is more widely available, and that it is informed by the views and experiences of young people.
4. Eliminating Hepatitis C by 2024
In 2019, the Scottish Government approved Scotland’s Hepatitis C Action Plan, which included proposals for the elimination of hepatitis C in Scotland by 2024.
The plan set out ambitious targets for testing and treatment, and on identifying and supporting the estimated 10,500 people living with undiagnosed hepatitis C in Scotland.
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruption to services and will have had an impact on our ability to meet the 2024 target. We are calling on the Scottish Government to review the existing action plan to mitigate and minimise any slippage in achieving hep C elimination.
