Qld govt boosts funding for HIV prevention

The Queensland government is putting more money towards helping people access HIV prevention medication.

More Queenslanders will be able to access prevention treatment for HIV with the state government increasing its funding of efforts to help people take the drug.

The Queensland AIDS Council will receive $870,000 over the next two-and-a-half years to spread the word the treatment is now subsidised and support individuals who are less likely to seek out the medication.

"Biomedical advances such as PrEP and treatment as prevention are truly wonderful developments for our community, as was demonstrated by the recent removal of AIDS as a notifiable condition earlier this month," the council's president Peter Black said on Saturday.

"Yet there remains work to be done ensuring everyone in our community has access to these advances, and this funding will help us reach the most vulnerable and at risk community members."

Research shows people who take PrEP consistently are at a significantly lower risk of HIV infection.

The announcement comes as AIDS is removed from Queensland's list of diseases that must be reported to the health officials, following a drop in the number of cases diagnosed.


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Source: AAP



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