AIDS (Hansard, 26 November 1991)

§ Mr. Amess
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to mark World AIDS Day; and if he will make a statement.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
World AIDS Day is a World Health Organisation initiative held on 1 December each year designed to expand and strengthen the worldwide effort to curb the spread of HIV infection and AIDS. The theme this year is "Sharing the Challenge", calling for a partnership of nations, groups, individuals and organisations from all walks of life to combat the pandemic.
As in previous years, we asked Mrs. Margaret Jay, director of the National AIDS Trust, to form a group to steer the United Kingdom response. The membership of the group has included people from the United Kingdom statutory, voluntary and media sectors. The day is being marked by many events throughout the United Kingdom.
On Friday 22 November I launched the Surrey and East Hampshire AIDSlink as a charity. In the week running up to World AIDS Day I am attending events in Bristol and in London. There will also be a preview of an exhibition of photographs of innovative local initiatives on HIV/AIDS. On 28 November the Chief Medical Officer and I will address the all-party parliamentary group on AIDS. My final World AIDS Day engagement will be to open a nursing conference on changing attitudes to AIDS in Cambridge on 2 December.
On World AIDS Day itself the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Social Services Inspector and the Deputy Chief Nursing Officer will attend an ecumenical service at Southwark cathedral. They will also visit people with HIV and AIDS and those who care for them, at the London Lighthouse and the Mildmay Mission hospital. These organisations have pioneered the provision of palliative care and support for people with HIV and AIDS. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will also visit London Lighthouse on 4 December.
We hope that the press, radio and television will help focus national attention on action to curb the spread of HIV infection and foster compassion and support for those already affected.

§ Mr. Strang
To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many non-haemophiliacs in England, Wales and 483W Northern Ireland who have contracted HIV infection as a result of contaminated NHS blood-tissue transfers (a) remain alive, (b) have developed AIDS and remain alive and (c)developed AIDS and have since died.

§ Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
There have been 51 reports in England, Wales and Northern Ireland of HIV infection in people who received blood or tissue transfer in the United Kingdom. The number of infected persons thought to be alive is 26.
The number reported with AIDS is 27, of whom 22 are known to have died. We have no information on the cause of death.