Health Minister announces ban on HIV home testing lifted

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The seventh National HIV Strategy has launched with a bang and Health Minister Peter Dutton has announced government plans aimed to end new HIV infections by 2020. As part of the strategy, the government has announced a commitment to improve access to HIV testing and treatment. The ban on the manufacture and sale of home HIV tests has been lifted and the Health Minister announced steps to improve access to medication for people living with HIV by making medications readily available at chemists rather than hospitals. “The primary goal of ending new HIV infections by 2020 is a strong target, and one embraced by all members of Australia’s HIV partnership,” Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO) Executive Director Rob Lake said. “This strategy, and its target of a 50% reduction in transmission and a dramatic uptake in HIV treatments require a strong commitment from us all.” Lake said by lifting the restriction on HIV home tests and improving access to medication, the Government has taken a decisive step towards achieving the goal of ending new HIV transmissions by 2020. “We must support additional prevention options as well as condom use, make treatments better and simpler and preserve the gains in legal and human rights protections that have brought us globally acknowledged success in limiting the impact of HIV in Australia,” Lake said. The Minister also announced that a new hepatitis C medication is being considered by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee. The medication is the first in a group of new anti-retroviral medications for people living with chronic hepatitis C.