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# BRIGHTON FESTIVAL PREVIEW: HIV experts to discuss Brighton’s ‘Fast Track City’ status
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/brighton-festival-preview-hiv-experts-to-discuss-brightons-fast-track-city-status/
- Published: 2017-04-11T18:53:44.000Z
- Updated: 2017-04-11T18:53:44.000Z
- Description: Experts in HIV will attend a special Brighton Festival event hosted by Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), in association with the Martin Fisher Foundation, to discuss the city’s United Nations ‘Fast Track City’ status.
- Author: Besi
- Tags: In The South, News, Previews, Brighton Festival, Martin Fisher Foundation, Sallis Benney Theatre

## Experts in HIV will attend a special Brighton Festival event hosted by Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS), in association with the Martin Fisher Foundation, to discuss the city’s United Nations ‘Fast Track City’ status.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web-600-39.jpg)

**Brighton is set to become** the first city in the UK to be awarded this status joining 65 cities worldwide with high levels of HIV working to end the epidemic of HIV/AIDS by 2030.

*Speakers at HIV: Is Victory in Sight?* taking place at Sallis Benney Theatre on Sunday, May 7 at 3pm, will discuss whether this is possible, how HIV can be reduced globally, and the successes and challenges with HIV.

The conversation will be chaired by **Baroness Gould of Potternewton**, and panelists include **Nicky Perry**, Clinical Trials Unit BSMS; **Dr Duncan Churchill**, a Consultant in HIV/GUM; **Sue Riley**, a person living with HIV and Terrence Higgins Trust South Positive Voices Project Coordinator; **Cllr Daniel Yates**, Chair of Health and Wellbeing Board; and **Dr Adrian Brown**, Chair of the Martin Fisher Foundation.

An audience Q&A session will follow the panel discussion.

Brighton & Hove has the highest prevalence of HIV outside of London, at 1% of the population. As 91% of people living with HIV in Brighton & Hove are men, prevalence among the male population is even greater, at 1.9%.

![Prof Malcolm Reed](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web-300-12.jpg)

Prof Malcolm Reed

**Professor Malcolm Reed, Dean of BSMS, says:** *“The prevalence of HIV in the Brighton & Hove area makes the United Nations Fast Track City status vitally important in our mission to combat the infection. HIV: is victory in sight? brings together experts and people living with HIV to discuss our work to end the epidemic of HIV/AIDS over the coming decade.”*

UN Fast Track Cities are working to achieve the following targets by 2020:

♦ at least 90% of people with HIV diagnosed

♦ 90% of those diagnosed on antiretroviral therapy and

♦ 90% of those undergoing treatment having the virus repressed.

![Dr Adrian Brown](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/web-150.jpg)

Dr Adrian Brown

**Dr Adrian Brown, Chair of the Martin Fisher Foundation, says:** *“Achieving United Nations Fast Track City status has re-energised the community in Brighton and Hove in the fight to combat HIV/AIDS. There has never been a better time to work together Towards Zero HIV thanks to recent research and treatment.*

*Brighton & Hove has already exceeded two of the UN Fast Track targets, with 93% of people diagnosed with HIV taking antiretrovirals and 96% of those on treatment having an undetectable viral load within six months.*

*Partners across Brighton and Hove have come together to produce the Towards Zero HIV Strategy, which is even more ambitious. We believe the city is in a very realistic position to reach zero new HIV infection, zero deaths and zero stigma by 2025.”*

The Brighton & Hove HIV service currently cares for 2,400 people, of whom 82% are men who have sex with men, 9% heterosexual males and 9% heterosexual females.

It’s estimated there are a further 500 people (or 17%) living with HIV who have not yet been diagnosed. Although there is currently a lack of data on transgender women, anecdotal data suggests that up to 19% of those who have been tested have been identified as HIV positive.

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**Event:** HIV: Is Victory in Sight?

**Where:** Sallis Benney Theatre, 58-67 Grand Parade, Brighton BN2 0JY

**When:** Sunday, May 7

**Time:** 3pm

**Cost:** £10

**To book tickets online, [click here:](http://brightonfestival.org/event/11069/hiv%5Fis%5Fvictory%5Fin%5Fsight/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**