Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has joined a global partnership working to end the HIV/AIDS epidemic, becoming the first city in the Yorkshire and Humber region to become a ‘Fast-Track City’ declaring its commitment to ending the HIV/AIDS by 2030.
Becoming a Fast Track City demonstrates a shared ambition and commitment across local authority, third sector and NHS partners in Leeds to achieve the ‘Triple Zero’ UNAIDS targets: Zero new cases of HIV, Zero HIV related Deaths & Zero stigma by 2030.
Leeds has a higher number of people living with HIV as well as more people diagnosed at a later stage of infection compared to national and regional averages. Despite continued local authority investment in specialist sexual health services as well as innovation around opt-out testing within health settings and community-based HIV testing, rates of late diagnosis remain stubbornly high amongst some most at risk populations.
Leeds became a Fast-Track City in February 2023. Fast-Track Cities is a global initiative and means that as a city we have signed up to work towards:
- ZERO new HIV infections and ZERO AIDS-related deaths in Leeds by 2030
- ZERO new TB infections in Leeds by 2030
- ZERO new viral hepatitis infections in Leeds by 2030 and
- ZERO stigma related to all these infections in Leeds by 2030
As a city we are proud that we have already achieved the UNAIDS 95:95:95 targets for HIV = 95% of people living with HIV knowing their status, 95% of those diagnosed receiving treatment and 95% of those on treatment achieving viral suppression. Yet to reach our ultimate goal of no new HIV, TB and viral hepatitis infections plus the elimination of stigma in relation to all of these infections in Leeds by 2030, we still have a lot of work to do.
We are very excited that in becoming a Fast-Track City we are now locally united and internationally connected – both of which will help us achieve these goals. Please visit our Publications section for our annual reports and videos.
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