It’s all happening again.
Back in May there was a proposal to completely change the way HIV Prevention was delivered in London, to scrape the current multi-branch approach and replace it with a system was only designed to was waste money. Well, thanks to the public out cry, that wasn’t steam-rolled through and we still have an approach that is working. But not for long, it seems.
The latest funding proposal for HIV prevention serving gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) is to be only £1,145,960 (£1.1 million), that means there will be a cut in the money for HIV Prevention next year (the new funding will start in April 2008). This will work out at £7.64 a year for every MSM in London – that’s how much London PCT’s value MSM’s health. Back in April 1998 the funding was £2 million, so ten years later we’ve see a 55% reduction in HIV Prevention funding. This is a scandal, especially when we’ve actually seen a fall in HIV infections in London’s MSM – the opposite of the national trend.
But we don’t have to take this lying down. Firstly, there is a petition to the Prime Minister to oppose this, and we can sign it online at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/hivprevention/
Also we can write to our MP, which can be done online at http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/ , and tell them how much we oppose this.
We won back in May, we need to do this again. One voice, shouting on its own, can easily be ignored; many voices all speaking together will grab attention.
Drew.
Back in May there was a proposal to completely change the way HIV Prevention was delivered in London, to scrape the current multi-branch approach and replace it with a system was only designed to was waste money. Well, thanks to the public out cry, that wasn’t steam-rolled through and we still have an approach that is working. But not for long, it seems.
The latest funding proposal for HIV prevention serving gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) is to be only £1,145,960 (£1.1 million), that means there will be a cut in the money for HIV Prevention next year (the new funding will start in April 2008). This will work out at £7.64 a year for every MSM in London – that’s how much London PCT’s value MSM’s health. Back in April 1998 the funding was £2 million, so ten years later we’ve see a 55% reduction in HIV Prevention funding. This is a scandal, especially when we’ve actually seen a fall in HIV infections in London’s MSM – the opposite of the national trend.
But we don’t have to take this lying down. Firstly, there is a petition to the Prime Minister to oppose this, and we can sign it online at http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/hivprevention/
Also we can write to our MP, which can be done online at http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/ , and tell them how much we oppose this.
We won back in May, we need to do this again. One voice, shouting on its own, can easily be ignored; many voices all speaking together will grab attention.
Drew.
1 comment:
messing around online and found your site.
Hmm...when will people realize HIV/AIdS and Hep C is not just a gay, etc, issue? Homo-fear is the reason the issue is not taken seriously. Drug users, too, are in other ways subjected to societal biases.
I recently had a roommate with Hep C and HIV. I didn't know why she was so weakened occasionally, when I took her in, (she had just been released from hospice after being given a few weeks for life sentence. I did find out.
Her paranoia - perhaps justified, perhaps not - about passing on her illnesses was very real.
She had been unable to kick the habit, that led to her disease, opiate addiction, That alone makes for mood changes, etc. Combined, this woman was unable to cope. Others close to her and not also sharing her addiction couldn't cope.
When she realized I had met the limit of our friendship, she moved. She moved on. I suppose she will move and move somemore.
If Our response to HIV/AIDS and hep c was more mature, it would be by far more treatable. Instead anyone in contact with this illness is committing risky behavior. Beacuse of the taboos surrounding it are so huge, it is a social disease far more than a physical one.
I'm glad accounting was readjusted. Here in Iowa, US, we went through similar funding problems. Thank goodness our funding was not lowered. We did the same, wrote petitioned and won to a degree.
Ann Klein
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