Grace O'Sullivan (Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I pay tribute to Senator Norris, the longest serving member of the Seanad, and Senator Warfield, the youngest Member of the Seanad, who have both been the strongest advocates of justice and rights for groups facing AIDS and HIV. I compliment them on their work in the Seanad.

World AIDS Day has been a sombre occasion of commemoration and remembrance since its beginning in 1988. It has also always been about a day of anger and action and of calling for a better approach to the prevention and treatment of HIV, especially within high-risk communities. Its devastating effects during the 1980s through to today are obvious to all. We thankfully are looking upon a different vista today, one in which a diagnosis with the disease is no longer the death sentence it once was. Drug regimes and changes to the way we treat patients, as well as the disease itself, have helped to alleviate its medical implications as much as social change has relieved the stigma. Nonetheless, the fight continues on both these fronts. I echo the statements of Senator Warfield and others in their call for access to pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP, medication for people at a higher risk of contracting the disease in Ireland. We can see in the major cities of the United State and the UK, the immense impact that regular use of the drugs has had on HIV infection rates. Daily PrEP usage reduces the risk of contracting HIV by more than 90% and when used with other preventative measures can create even greater safety. Sadly in Ireland, we have seen no such progress. The drug remains difficult, if not impossible, to access for many people who would like to use it. This is combined with the staggering record high levels of new diagnosis here in Ireland last year, with 512 new cases of the disease. This reflects the increase year on year since 2011, a more negative aspect in the decline in stigma related to the disease. Despite the fact it has always been a disease that affects all parts of our society, the fact that ii affects gay men especially cannot be contested, as 77% of new cases are male. This is precisely the community that can benefit from an increased access to preventative medication. The recent court finding in the case initiated by Gilead regarding the use of generic alternatives to Truvada is a huge potential boon to Ireland, offering the prospect of access to medication that is 60% cheaper than the brand name version. Irish trials of PrEP users have begun this month in Dublin but will not be providing the drug to participants. Access to the drug remains the preserve of those with enough money to access it.That cannot continue. Any who need further convincing on this front should note that a recent UK study in the medical journal The Lancethas examined the cost-effectiveness implications of the use of the drug. Its conclusion speaks for itself. It states the analysis suggests the introduction of a PrEP programme for men who have sex with men in the UK is cost-effective and possibly cost-saving in the long term. It also states a reduction in the cost of antiretroviral drugs, including the drugs used for PrEP, would substantially shorten the time for cost savings to be realised. This drug saves lives, lowers infection rates, lowers the cost of treatment borne by the public purse and improves the lives of those at the highest risk. It will soon be 60% cheaper. What possible reason can we have left not to provide it?