The government has announced an extra £17.6m in funding for local authorities to plan and care for people living with HIV and AIDS.
Grants have been given to local authorities for 18 years to enable the development of strategic plans for the commissioning and financing of social care for people living with HIV and AIDS. The existing grants are being increased over the next three years by £17.6m, or 20%.
Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo said: “With World AIDS Day on 1 December, this comes at a time when we are all reminded that, although progress has been made in the past 26 years, much remains to be done, and we are determined to play our part both here and worldwide.
“We have strengthened national HIV health promotion for groups most at risk in England by investing an extra £2m over the last two years in the work done by the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV Policy Network.
“Earlier this year we also published a Department of Health action plan on HIV-related stigma, which included funding three new projects, working with HIV charities.
“This is in addition to the £130m we are already investing in modernising sexual health clinics and services throughout the country, and the £1.7m we have already targeted at HIV health promotion for gay men and African communities.
“The additional £17.6m over three years that I am announcing today will build upon the good work done in local communities to support those with HIV and AIDS.”
An estimated 52,000 people in Britain are diagnosed with HIV. Since 2001, around 5,000 additional patients have been seen for HIV-related care each year.
