Press Release – 22nd Feb 04
Breaking the Barriers- Partnership to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central
Asia Ministerial Conference in Dublin
from 23rd to 24th February 2004 @ Dublin Castle Dublin
AIDS Alliance is the Irish NGO delegate organisation attending the conference
and will present on partnership between the voluntary sector and the State in
the development of HIV strategies and services in Ireland.
Dublin AIDS Alliance commends the Irish Government for prioritising HIV/AIDS
during the course of their presidency of the E.U.
The conference provides an important platform through which improved
networking and communication can be developed with our colleagues throughout
Europe, while ensuring that HIV/AIDS remains a priority issue both on the
European and on the Irish political agenda.
Our commitment to the assession states will have implications for HIV services
in Ireland, and this Conference is therefore timely and welcome. We are
dealing with the ongoing struggle to keep HIV/AIDS on the domestic political
agenda, while number of people testing HIV+ in Ireland is increasing annually,
to the extent that one person now tests HIV positive every day.
Dublin AIDS Alliance has been at the forefront of HIV/AIDS prevention and
support of people both living with and affected by the virus since 1987. The
number of people accessing our services is also increasing annually in line
with national trends. In 2003, 412 HIV+ people accessed the services of Dublin
AIDS Alliance, an increase of 9% when compared with the previous year. The
increasing demands for the services we provide is evidence of the continued
fear of prejudice and stigma that many people continue to face if their HIV
status is known. We support HIV positive people to access housing, welfare,
training and treatment.
Almost 1,000 people availed of our Prevention, Education and Training
initiatives, which through inter-active workshop techniques an increased
awareness of HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI’s) and associated
issues were facilitated, while behavioural change and safer sexual practises
were actively promoted. Dublin AIDS Alliance, through its contact with
community groups and individuals is constantly surprised by the lack knowledge
and skills amongst the general public.
In excess of 36,000 interventions were recorded by this service in 2003, which
included condom and information distribution in an effort to address the
information deficit that exists among the general public.
Dublin AIDS Alliance acknowledges the continued commitment of the Northern
Area Health Board to the work of this agency, but emphasises the need for
greater support in light of increasing demand on our services. We need the
sustained commitment of Government to ensure that people living with HIV in
Ireland continue to access a high standard of treatment and care, while
ensuring that sufficient resources are made available to agencies delivering
prevention and harm minimisation initiatives.
Given the current crisis in capacity at clinic level, and ever-increasing
pressures on NGO services, there is an obligation on Government to find the
policy framework through which these issues may be effectively addressed and
to provide adequate resources to implement that framework.
Press Release – 23rd Feb 04
HIV & AIDS In Ireland Statistical Report from January to June 2003
Figures released today by the National Disease Surveillance Centre (NDSC)
indicate a sharp rise in the number of people testing HIV+ in Ireland. In the
first six months of 2003, an increase of 32% was recorded when compared with
the same period in 2002. Due to the large amount of missing data, it is
not possible to interpret trends accurately.
However of the 147 cases where information is known, HIV transmission among
Injecting Drug Users and Mother to Child transmission remained the same or
similar when compared with the same period the year before. Heterosexual
transmission decreased, while the number of Men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM)
increased by 94% when compared to the first half of 2002.
25% of the cases for which data is available were born in Ireland, thus
dispelling the misconception that HIV is something that happens to somebody
else, somewhere else. The need to increase awareness of HIV among the general
public is paramount, while elimination of the stigma and isolation that people
living with HIV continue to experience is of equal importance.
Dublin AIDS Alliance is concerned by this sharp increase in the number of
people testing positive for HIV particularly given the current climate of
cutbacks, which affects this agencies ability to respond effectively to the
increasing needs of its rising client base. Whilst we are indebted to the
Northern Area Health Board for the support it gives us, it is imperative that
Government and its agencies show flexibility and make sufficient resources
available to develop the services as demand grows
