Following on from our meeting with Dr Ade Adeagbo on Monday 2 August 2010, we are asking for help to support our partner organisation AHPN with their Destination Unknown campaign.

What’s the issue?

AHPN believes that there is a clear contradiction between the UK’s policy aim of universal access to HIV treatment for all those who need it by 2010 and the deportation of people living with HIV who are on treatment to countries where treatment is not readily available or affordable. The withdrawal of treatment increases the body’s vulnerability to opportunistic infection and will result in drastically shortened life expectancy.

AHPN believes that there are strong public health arguments for allowing a concession.  Those awaiting removal may go underground and fail to keep appointments resulting in an increased risk of opportunistic infection with the need for emergency treatment and an increased risk of onward transmission.  The Department of Health has valued the prevention of one single onward transmission as between £0.5 and £1 million in terms of individual health benefits and treatment costs. (more…)