Local HIV Diagnoses In Decline, Challenges To Achieving Elimination Goal
Press Release – Burnett Foundation Aotearoa
There were also 28 people diagnosed with AIDS in 2024, with 18 (64%) being MSM. This is the highest number of local AIDS diagnoses since 2010. Over 70% of these people (20) were diagnosed with AIDS within 3 months of their HIV diagnosisindicating …
There were 38 gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) who acquired HIV in Aotearoa New Zealand last year, a decrease from the previous year and continuing the overall downward trend since the peak of 97 in 2016. The 2024 HIV and AIDS notification data was released today by the University of Otago AIDS Epidemiology group.
There were also 28 people diagnosed with AIDS in 2024, with 18 (64%) being MSM. This is the highest number of local AIDS diagnoses since 2010. Over 70% of these people (20) were diagnosed with AIDS within 3 months of their HIV diagnosis—indicating late HIV diagnoses.
Burnett Foundation Interim General Manager, Alex Anderson, says it is worrying that we are still seeing people being diagnosed with AIDS, a sign of a late diagnosis of HIV-infection that developed into AIDS.
'If we are going to achieve our 2030 goal of eliminating local HIV transmission, we need to see everyone at-risk of acquiring HIV in regular systems of testing. If HIV is diagnosed early, it helps stop further transmission and ensures better health outcomes for recently diagnosed people.'
Mr. Anderson says that while numbers are trending down, work is needed to ensure equitable access to testing, prevention and education.
'We are seeing continued decline in local HIV acquisitions, but the new data show it is mostly in European MSM. We are not seeing the same decline in Māori and Pacific people. It is imperative that nobody is left behind in our response,' says Mr. Anderson.
Of the MSM who acquired HIV in New Zealand in 2024, 8 were European while 16 were Māori, 5 were Pacific people, 6 Asian and 3 were of another or unknown ethnicity.
'We are working with community to ensure our messages reaches those who need it most. Our free HIV self-test vending machines around the country are making testing more accessible to all. We are also advocating to make PrEP more accessible from a wider range of nurses, pharmacies and community orgs to increase uptake of this important prevention tool,' says Mr. Anderson.
The government's National HIV Action Plan received a one-year funding extension in Budget 2025, now running through to the 2028/29 financial year. The Action Plan's goal is a 90% reduction in locally acquired infections compared to the 2010 baseline by 2030 as well as ensuring that people living with HIV have healthy lives free from stigma and discrimination.
'This is a clear signal that the government continues to see value in the Action Plan, although we'll be watching closely how this additional funding is prioritised and commissioned by Te Whatu Ora Health NZ,' says Mr. Anderson.
A recent study showed that every $1 invested in Burnett Foundation Aotearoa means $5.05 saved for the New Zealand public, in HIV acquisitions prevented.
Mr. Anderson says that the Foundation is also watching the growing HIV outbreak in Fiji, and cuts to global HIV funding, with concern.
'We must ensure our local response remains strong, with a growing number of people being unable to access prevention and treatment overseas, there is a real risk of rising global transmission. We are looking at ways we can support our local Fijian communities as there are strong migrant connections between our two countries. We are aware how an outbreak in Fiji can affect our own response here. We must work together to ensure there is a strong, coordinated regional response.'
Notes:
There were three trans women who acquired HIV in Aotearoa last year. Although data on HIV diagnoses among trans populations has only been collected since 2017, and increasing awareness of gender diversity among healthcare providers is likely improving reporting, it remains crucial that we monitor emerging population groups closely and ensure our prevention tools are both accessible and inclusive.
Living with HIV is a manageable condition for most Kiwis in 2024. People living with HIV who are on effective treatment, with an undetectable viral load, have zero chance of passing on HIV to their sexual partners.
Burnett Foundation Aotearoa, along with our sector partners Positive Women Inc., Toitū te Ao and Body Positive Inc., provide a broad range of support services and information for people living with HIV, to support the HIV response in Aotearoa New Zealand. Anyone can visit our websites or contact us to discuss how we can best support them:
• https://www.burnettfoundation.org.nz/
• https://www.toituteao.org/
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
4 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Wastewater more reliable: prof
University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker. Photo: file With another wave of Covid-19 on the horizon, wastewater testing has become a more reliable sign of community infection than self-reporting, a Dunedin expert has said. University of Otago epidemiologist Michael Baker said since last week, wastewater testing in Dunedin and across the country showed a "consistent sharp spike" in detection of SARS-CoV-2, or the Covid-19 virus. "This rise suggests we are seeing the beginning of a new wave of Covid-19 infection across New Zealand." In the past week, the Southern district recorded 96 new cases of Covid-19, tied for second-most in the country with Canterbury and behind Waitematā (141). However, an apparent strong decrease in testing and self-reporting across New Zealand meant wastewater was a more useful indication of infection in the community, Prof Baker said. "A lot more people will be walking around not knowing they've got the infection and not able to take preventive measures to infect other people. "So it has weakened our support for preventing transmission." Otago Primary Principals' Association president Kim Blackwood said while schools were seeing plenty of general illness, few cases were confirmed to be Covid-19. "They've got one or two cases, but it's not impacting majorly at this point." As Covid-19 tests were no longer free, "the question that has to be asked is whether people are testing". "Because I'm not sure that they are." Prof Baker appeared to agree. Removing government support for Covid-related sick leave in 2023 contributed to a "sharp drop" in testing. "That's when the wastewater [virus detection] line stayed fairly high, and the self-reported line started to dip. "And then, of course, a year later, we removed the free [rapid antigen tests], and I think there was also an even bigger divergence between those two lines." While it appeared another Covid-19 wave was emerging "we don't know how big or how prolonged it'll be", Prof Baker said. Now was the time for people to get a booster vaccine, "particularly if you're over 65 or have underlying illnesses, or pregnant". Recent hospitalisations due to Covid-19 were not immediately available.
Otago Daily Times
4 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Migraine treatment ‘lagging'
University of Otago public health senior research fellow and Migraine Foundation co-founder Dr Fiona Imlach says New Zealand is lagging behind other countries when it comes to treating migraines. PHOTO: SUPPLIED When it comes to funding and accessing migraine prevention medication and other therapies, New Zealand is "lagging behind" other countries. University of Otago (Wellington) researchers examined the use of supplements and complementary therapies by 530 Kiwis with migraine disease, and found about half of them turned to treatments other than medication in an attempt to ease their symptoms. The participants were asked about supplements such as magnesium, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and coenzyme Q10 and complementary therapies including acupuncture, biofeedback, neuromodulation devices, meditation, yoga and massage. Study co-author, public health senior research fellow and Migraine Foundation co-founder Dr Fiona Imlach, said many people with migraine did not take medication to prevent migraine attacks, but non-pharmacological approaches could help. "No previous research has looked at the use of these approaches in Aotearoa, so it's a new finding that about half of the 530 survey respondents were currently using a supplement, and even more, 58%, were using complementary therapy." Although most non-pharmacological treatments were considered safe or low risk, the quality of evidence for their effectiveness could be low, Dr Imlach said. The survey focused on treatments that were included in international guidelines on migraine management, including those not easily accessed in New Zealand such as neuromodulation devices, which worked by stimulating nerves in order to change the way pain signals in the brain were processed. However, access to neuromodulation devices was limited and costly and previous distributors had pulled out of the New Zealand market, Dr Imlach said. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES "Neuromodulation devices and other therapies could be beneficial for both patients and for workplaces, by decreasing the number of days people are affected by migraine, improving quality of life and people's ability to work. "These approaches can also be a good option for people who can't or don't want to take medication, such as during pregnancy. "So even though people said they would like to try non-medication treatments as part of their migraine management plan, they can be expensive and hard to find information about," she said. The survey also confirmed there was no single approach to migraine prevention that was universally effective, so people had to use trial and error in the hope of finding relief. "For all of the treatments we asked about, there were many people who had tried them, but they didn't work or had side effects. "There were also those who hadn't tried them before but wanted to. "All of this speaks to the huge need for more effective migraine treatments, both medication and non-medication. "New Zealand is lagging behind other countries with regards to funding and access to migraine-prevention medication and other therapies."
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- RNZ News
NZ's goal to get smoking rates under 5 percent this year – why that's highly unlikely
By By Janet Hoek and Jude Ball* of More than 80,000 people would need to quit smoking this year to bring Aotearoa's overall smoking prevalence under 5 percent. Photo: Next week is "scrutiny week" in Parliament - one of two weeks each year when opposition MPs can hold ministers accountable for their actions, or lack thereof. For us, it's a good time to take stock of whether New Zealand is on track to achieve its smokefree goal of reducing smoking prevalence to under 5 percent and as close to zero as possible, among all population groups, this year. The latest New Zealand Health Survey shows that, for the first time in a decade, smoking rates have flatlined rather than fallen. Stark inequities persist, with daily smoking prevalence among Māori at 14.7 percent (compared to 6.1 percent among European New Zealanders). To bring New Zealand's overall smoking prevalence under 5 percent would require more than 80,000 people to quit this year. Achieving the goal equitably means more than 60,000 of those people would need to be Māori. The government's repeal of earlier measures predicted to bring rapid and equitable reductions in smoking prevalence means achieving the Smokefree 2025 goal for all population groups is now highly unlikely. Proposed by the Māori Affairs Select Committee and adopted by the then National-led government in 2011, the Smokefree 2025 goal has always had equity at its heart. At that time, smoking prevalence among Māori was 37.7 percent and 14.7 percent among European New Zealanders. Reducing smoking rates to less than 5 percent for all population groups offered an opportunity to profoundly reduce health inequities burdening Māori. Early discussions recognised the large inequities in smoking rates. Speaking about his role in the select committee inquiry, former National Party leader Simon Bridges stated: The picture I had of smoking was quite wrong. Most of the time, smoking is not this idea of a free market with adults who freely consent to take up smoking but the more complex, difficult situation of children smoking as a result of parents and grandparents who smoked . That means that a more intense, stronger, more interventionist approach is called for. The first Smokefree Action Plan, only introduced a decade later in late 2021, included more intense measures and established a Māori and Pacific oversight committee to ensure all actions taken promoted equity. The action plan introduced three key initiatives: denicotinisation, a large reduction in outlets selling tobacco, and the smokefree generation strategy. All were expected to have strong pro-equity outcomes. Modelling predicted denicotinisation would bring unprecedented reductions in smoking prevalence, eliminating the gaps between Māori and non-Māori. Reducing tobacco availability would end the widespread access to tobacco in lower-income communities. The smokefree generation, a longer-term endgame strategy that would have meant anyone born after 2009 could no longer buy tobacco, was predicted to significantly reduce inequity, given the younger Māori (and Pacific) population structure. Then Minister of Health Ayesha Verrall noted: While smoking rates are heading in the right direction, we need to do more, faster, to reach our goal. If nothing changes, it would be decades till Māori smoking rates fall below 5 percent, and this government is not prepared to leave people behind. The coalition government's repeal of these measures in early 2024 left a void, but Associate Health Minister Casey Costello reaffirmed a commitment to the Smokefree 2025 goal. A January 2024 update to Cabinet stated: The government remains committed to further reducing smoking rates and achieving the Smokefree 2025 goal of daily smoking prevalence of less than 5 percent for all population groups. However, by late 2024 the narrative began changing. In November, Costello launched a new smokefree action plan in a final push to reach the headline 5 percent target. Her plan does not emphasise the structural changes (such as fewer outlets selling tobacco) called for by the Māori Affairs Select Committee. Instead, it relies on health promotion programmes to reduce smoking uptake and on increasing attempts to quit by "reinvigorating" stop-smoking messages and improving referral rates to support. We argue New Zealand will likely fall well short of its 2025 goal to bring smoking rates below 5 percent and reduce inequities, despite an ongoing commitment by Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora. During scrutiny week, we hope Associate Health Minister Costello will be asked how she explains the discrepancy between her earlier commitment to achieving the Smokefree 2025 goal among all population groups and more recent comments which appear to roll back the equity goal. More importantly, we hope questions will probe how she plans to reduce smoking prevalence among Māori to a third of its current level, and what evidence she has that the steps she proposes will work. * Janet Hoek receives funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Marsden Fund, NZ Cancer Society and NZ Heart Foundation. She is a member of the Health Coalition Aotearoa's smokefree expert advisory group and of the Ministry of Health's smokefree advisory group, a member of the HRC's Public Health Research Committee, and a Senior Editor at Tobacco Control (honorarium paid). She serves on several other government, NGO and community advisory groups. Jude Ball receives funding from the Health Research Council of New Zealand, the Marsden Fund, NZ Cancer Society, NIB Foundation, and the Health Promotion Agency. She is affiliated with the Public Health Association of New Zealand, a member of Health Coalition Aotearoa's smokefree advisory group, and serves on other NGO and community advisory groups. - This story originally appeared on The Conversation.
