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Tackling HIV stigma and discrimination - response to consultation

In December 2005, we issued a draft action plan to tackle HIV related stigma and discrimination for consultation. We received 31 responses and these informed the new work and action set out in this implementation plan.  

This includes allocating a total of £150,000 to the National AIDS Trust, the Medical Foundation for AIDS and Sexual Health and NAM (formerly the National AIDS Manual) to take forward new work over two years (2006/08).  In addition, we have allocated £50,000 each to our two main HIV health promotion contractors, the Terrence Higgins Trust and the African HIV Policy Network, to strengthen their targeted work with gay men and people from African communities, respectively. These two groups continue to remain the communities at highest risk from HIV, as confirmed by the latest report from the Health Protection Agency.  

Much work has been undertaken across government since we published the draft plan, including the amendment to the Disability Discrimination Act, work to address equal access to health care, and equality issues around gender, race and sexuality. The Department of Education and Skills, has undertaken work in schools, including action to address homophobic bullying. This effort has been mirrored by work undertaken by the Department for International Development (DFID)  on the world stage, where the issues of stigma and discrimination experienced by people affected by HIV have been highlighted in recent UN and other publications.

As a result of this, and other work undertaken by key non-statutory agencies working with people living with HIV in England, we considered that, rather than revise the draft plan issued in 2005, the issues would be best pursued through the publication of a web-based implementation plan which would take forward the work. This would serve to update the position, outline the additional work we have commissioned, and provide an overview on cross-government work on stigma in the context of equality and human rights.

• Tackling HIV stigma and discrimination - Department of Health implementation plan