HIV charities criticise Nigel Farage after Reform UK leader called for asylum seekers to be banned from receiving HIV treatment on NHS

HIV charities Terrence Higgins Trust and National AIDS Trust have criticised comments made by Nigel Farage yesterday (13 April). The Reform UK leader said he would ban asylum seekers with HIV from receiving treatment on the NHS.

People living with HIV in the UK can receive treatment for free, regardless of immigration status. Those on treatment cannot pass on HIV, including during sex, once treatment has reduced the level of virus in the blood to an undetectable level.

The remarks echo comments made by Mr Farage in the run-up to the 2015 election. 

Richard Angell OBE, chief executive of Terrence Higgins Trust, said: "Nigel Farage was wrong in 2015 and he was wrong yesterday. With access to treatment, people living with HIV can live a normal, healthy life and can't pass it on. Withholding HIV treatment from anyone in the UK means more people living with HIV because there is a chance it could be passed on and means more people ill in the NHS.

"David Cameron, having studied the evidence closely, was right to ensure everyone in the UK with HIV had access to HIV medication. This has meant people, rather than hide their status on entry to the UK, have sought treatment and when on treatment you can’t pass HIV on, preventing deaths and new transmissions.

"It’s disappointing that Mr Farage is promising to take away vital healthcare that could lead to more people in the UK having HIV. Instead, he should be joining the cross-party effort to end new HIV cases and to do so by 2030.

"The UK could be the first country in the world to end new cases of HIV. It is British-based and British-headquartered pharmaceutical companies that are leading on HIV science and innovation, and ending this epidemic could be the single best health achievement of our time

"We hope to meet with Mr Farage to discuss the realities of HIV in the UK and how he can put down the dog whistle and do the right thing to help end the epidemic."

Robbie Currie, chief executive of National AIDS Trust, added: “Everybody in the UK, regardless of their immigration status, must be able to access the HIV medicine they need including throughout the full process of any asylum claims. This is both a fundamental individual right and completely in line with the medical consensus on public health and reduction of HIV transmissions, as someone on effective HIV treatment will have an undetectable viral load and can’t pass HIV on to others. 

"More broadly, the insinuation of health tourism in Mr Farage’s comments do not stand up – there is no evidence that people come to the UK to be able to access HIV treatment.

"The UK has an incredible opportunity to end new cases of HIV by 2030 and we must ensure nobody is left behind in accessing vital HIV care. Everyone living with HIV has a right to treatment and no one should ever be denied the medicine they need.”