Ending HIV transmission in Scotland by 2030

Context

HIV remains a condition with profound impact on the health and well-being of people globally. With early diagnosis and effective therapy, HIV is no longer the terminal illness in many nations that it was in the 1980s, and it is now established that with suppressive treatment, the virus cannot be transmitted [Ref 1]. However, there remain adverse impacts on physical and mental health together with the requirement for lifelong healthcare and treatment. Living with HIV can worsen existing inequalities and people may also experience additional HIV-related stigma and discrimination. Thus, there is both a real opportunity and a need to stop HIV from being passed on in the first place.

On 1 December (World Aids Day) 2020, the Minister for Public Health set the goal of ending HIV transmission in Scotland by 2030 [Ref 2]. The Scottish Government commissioned the Scottish Health Protection Network (SHPN) to submit a proposal on how this could be achieved. This led to the establishment of a dedicated short life HIV Transmission Elimination Oversight Group (HiTEOG) which has produced this report with a set of recommendations to inform the Minister on proposed next steps to achieve the goal.