Will Australia become first country to eliminate HIV transmission by 2030?

In the lead-up to World AIDS Day on December 1, the Albanese Government has unveiled the 9th National HIV Strategy, setting an ambitious goal to virtually eliminate HIV transmission in Australia by 2030.

At the World AIDS Day Parliamentary Breakfast, Federal Health Minister Mark Butler MP reflected on Australia’s remarkable progress in HIV care and its potential global leadership.

“A patient-led, consumer-led movement that grew out of struggle, and has so much to teach other areas, so much to teach government about how we can develop policy, co-design programs in so many other areas of health as well,” he said. “It really set Australia up to be the first country in the world to end HIV transmission by the end of this decade.”

Despite a significant drop in new infections – down by about one-third over the past decade – Australia is not yet on track to meet its 2030 target. Reaching hard-to-reach populations remains a critical challenge.

“In the 40 years since HIV/AIDS reached Australia, we have made remarkable progress. This Strategy marks one of the final steps to achieving the virtual elimination of HIV transmission in Australia,” Minister Butler stated.

The new strategy aims to build a sustainable future for HIV care in Australia, ensuring no one is left behind. It incorporates recommendations from the 2023 HIV Taskforce, established to guide the government on priority actions.

“That really is at the heart of the Taskforce recommendations and the heart of our investments in this year’s Budget: to do things differently,” Minister Butler explained. “To look at PrEP for people who are not eligible for Medicare, a very big investment in this year’s Budget.”

The plan includes innovative approaches to communicate differently, building on the foundations of Emen8, the tool from ACON, to target hard-to-reach communities, particularly culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, and health professionals in those communities who may not be informed about best practice.

Self-testing is also a key focus, with plans to expand initiatives such as vending machines for self-testing kits – a pilot project already trialled in universities.

The Strategy focuses on reducing new and late diagnoses, improving HIV outcomes for priority populations, implementing new models for testing and treatment, and addressing ongoing stigma and discrimination.

It also endorses the global Undetectable=Untransmittable (U=U) campaign, which underscores that people with an undetectable viral load through antiretroviral therapy cannot sexually transmit HIV, helping to dismantle stigma.

Developed in partnership with leading HIV organisations, health professionals, academics, and state and territory governments, the Strategy aims to deliver a coordinated national response to virtually eliminate HIV transmission in Australia by 2030.

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