State govt aims to decimate virus in SA by 2030
South Australia has released its plan to be one of the first places in the world working to eliminate a serious virus.
The South Australian HIV Strategy 2025-2030 is a “blueprint” for public health organisations and the state government to pursue the lofty ambition of virtually eliminating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission by 2030.
State Health Minister Chris Picton unveiled the strategy at the Australasian HIV and AIDS Conference in Adelaide today to outline how the state would reach goals set out in the Federal Government’s Ninth National HIV Strategy.
Picton said the government wanted “to be a world leader in this space”.
The state plan would focus on making it easier for South Australians to be tested so they could learn their HIV status sooner, preventing transmission through increased community awareness of and access to prevention tools – while better supporting people living with HIV and eliminating stigma and discrimination.
This included continuing to promote preventative medication to priority populations. According to the strategy, the number of South Australians accessing medication continued to rise on the back of efforts to expand the network of prescribing clinicians and educational resources.
You might like
The announcement today comes just weeks after the reopening of an essential sexual health clinic in Adelaide’s north.
SHINE SA’s Daveron Park clinic was re-established with the support of both the state and federal government, having previously been closed in 2019 after budget cuts from the former Liberal government.
State health minister Chris Picton said the launch of the strategy was an “important moment for South Australia as we look to take our most ambitious move yet towards ending the HIV epidemic in this state”. In 2022, the state government signed the Paris Declaration to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030.
“The South Australian HIV Strategy gives us a clear blueprint that will guide the Malinauskas Government in its mission to virtually eliminate HIV transmission in South Australia,” Picton said.
Stay informed, daily
“We want to be a world leader in this space, not only by ending HIV transmission, but by continuing to ensure those who live with it can live long, healthy, and happy lives.”
The strategy addressed barriers that remained for some groups when it comes to accessing prevention, testing and treatment.
It also said the “continued spread of misinformation about HIV” contributed to stigma and discrimination, undermining the goal of ending the epidemic in Australia.
Chief public health officer Professor Nicola Spurrier said the strategy presented “an opportunity for the next great public health achievement, as we strive to become one of the first jurisdictions to achieve the World Health Organization’s goal of virtually eliminating HIV transmission by 2030”.
“Thanks to scientific advancements, strong partnerships, and sustained implementation of prevention strategies this goal is now not only realistic, but within reach,” Spurrier said.
“Thanks to advancements in treatment and prevention, people with HIV can now live long, healthy lives, and achieve undetectable levels of the virus in their body, meaning it cannot be transmitted.
“While there is cause for optimism, some communities face persistent barriers to accessing HIV prevention, testing and treatment. The strategy provides an evidence-based framework to address these remaining obstacles through partnerships and collaboration, and a shared commitment to health equity.”
Goals of the strategy include reducing the incidence of HIV transmissions in gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men by 90 per cent by 2030, increase the use of more forms of prevention in people at risk of HIV to 90 per cent by 2025, and ensuring the share of people living with or affected by HIV are reporting they are ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ experiencing sigma to 95 per cent.
