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NEW DIAGNOSIS OF HIV in Ireland is still increasing, despite new initiatives to tackle the issue.
There have been 476 new diagnoses of HIV this year, compared to 447 in the same time period last year.
Today, 1 December, marks World AIDS Day 2019.
Ireland is currently at almost double the European average, with higher numbers than during the Aids epidemic in the 1980s and 1990s.
According to the HIV/Aids surveillance in Europe 2008-2017 data, rates increased by 10% or more in countries in both 2008 and 2017 in only three countries – Iceland, Ireland and Malta.
The numbers of new diagnoses continue to rise, despite the initial stages of the PrEP (pre-exposure prophylaxis) HIV prevention programme being implemented by the government after a review by the State’s health watchdog found the drug is highly effective at preventing HIV in people at substantial risk.
The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) said a formal PrEP programme would allow for a safe, effective and cost-saving environment, and the full roll out will be implemented next year, and would be free for those enrolled.
A PrEP scheme card ensures prescriptions of the drug for those who are eligible, and a full screening every three months.
Noel Donnellon from group ACT UP Dublin said there has been welcome movement on the issue, there is a long way to go.
“HIV rates are still high, the figures are always tweaked slightly, but we’re still at a higher rate than last year,” he said.
“However the PrEP programme has just started now, it hasn’t gone to full roll out yet, but some people clinically eligible in the program can take part, and we’re seeing good take up, so the hope is that will eventually effect figures.
“Awareness of PrEP is growing definitely, it’s being articulated among most groups, and there’s been a lot of press around it, so more people are aware.
“It’s early days, I know for a lot of clinics there’s been great take-up.”
According to new research conducted by Core Research on behalf of Teva Pharmaceuticals Ireland, 87% of people had never heard of PrEP.
Donnellon says issues remain over access to the programme when the roll out is implemented.
Ireland’s second largest city Cork is currently the only city without a specialised HIV prevention clinic, after plans for the practice at Cork University Hospital (CUH) stalled.
“In relation to how many places that can prescribe PrEP, there is money mentioned as part of the scheme for more staff, but that won’t kick in till nearly next year,” he said.
“The fact there is no clinic in Cork is an issue, the problem there is it was meant to be set up in CUH and it hasn’t materialised,” he added.
This is “forcing people into smaller clinics and GPs surgeries for clinics”, Donnellon said, adding that “if you’re from rural areas or smaller towns that comes with it’s own set of issues”.
“We’re in a long battle against stigma, when people see there’s more people in different careers, races and genders with HIV it helps,” he said.
The more people who see people who live with HIV getting on with their lives, it will change stigma, it comes down to education in general.
“I’m still concerned about the rate, once the PrEP programme opens up, the more the better, but it will take time and education and social change, they’re all interlinked.”
Health Minister Simon Harris and Minister for Health Promotion Catherine Byrne have also marked Worlds AIDS Day today.
“This day provides us with a welcome opportunity to remember those who have been lost to AIDS-related illnesses and to remind ourselves of the need to keep focussing on what we can do to strengthen our efforts in the area of prevention and support for those living with HIV,” Byrne said.
“Good sexual health and wellbeing is important for our overall physical and mental health, and especially so in our young people. Reducing stigma and supporting education and sexual health promotion is vital to ensure everyone enjoys positive sexual health outcomes,” she said.
Almost 10,000 people have been diagnosed with HIV in Ireland since the early 1980s.
The HSE has been contacted for comment.
With reporting by Hayley Halpin
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Us emissions are below 1994 levels.
Ireland’s emissions are at least triple 1994 levels.
@Joe Caulfield:
US industrialised far earlier than we did.
Allowances were made for later developers who had contributed little pollution to catch up on industrialization.
Not that difficult to understand.
@Joe Caulfield: The US’s per capita output of carbon is 16.t – The EU average is only 6.9. Ireland’s is 7.6 and has been dropping since 1999.
The US’s output equates for 14.3% of global emissions, despite their population only making up 4% of the global population.
We have some work to do to get to the EU average, but we’re still light years ahead of the US.
@Joe Caulfield: “Ireland’s emissions are at least triple 1994 levels.”
Also – that’s absolutely false. Did you even look at the records. Current output is about the same as 1994/95 despite having a much larger population.
Source: http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-eii/eii2016/ggcc/
@Brinster: Are you sure Ireland was one those countries that received an allowance ? You don’t reduce emissions by signing a piece of paper. For an industrialized country like the US is quite an accomplishment.
@Joe Caulfield: Fake news………..not you I mean all the scientist…we are tremendous fabulous. We are going to be great again
@Mary Murphy: it’s true
@Seán Ó Briain: The US loves being the highest in stuff.
They have only 5% of the worlds population but yet they have 20% of the world’s prison population. Yet they don’t have the safest country in the world.
The USA tops the charts for so many things…and not in a good way!
@Joe Caulfield: Just going to ignore the statistics proving you are a liar?
http://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-eii/eii2016/ggcc/
Here are they again
@WinSomeLoseSome: The CSO is the liar. GDP from 94 to 2016 has quadrupled. How many cars do you think where on the road in 1994 ? Ireland has done nothing to reduce emissions as carbon taxes and wind farms don’t work. In Ireland climate change is the new Catholicism. Rushing to a perceived higher moral ground while engaging in acts of piety. I’ve seen it all before.
@Joe Caulfield: In fairness Joe, it looks like you were caught spoofing.
Do you have any back up for your assertion that Ireland’s emissions trebled, or did it just “feel” correct?
@Joe Caulfield: Joe, you’re wrong and you pulled stats out of your ass.
@Joe Caulfield: US are below ’94 levels, yet Ireland are Triple and can you back that up?
@Stephen murphy: Irish GDP has quadrupled since 1994.
@Stephen murphy: Herr Stephen. From a source you can trust. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/feb/01/us-carbon-emissions-lowest-levels
Hi Joe, not quite triple but back on the rise post recession, 3.7% increase from 2014 to 2015. All this when we should be reducing or have committed to reducing. Unfortunately with all the new data centres for the likes of amazon, fb, apple etc we don’t have a chance of meeting our commitments on current trajectory.
http://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/air/airemissions/ghgemissions/GHG%201990-2015%20April%202017.pdf
@Joe Caulfield:
Nope – read your link and couldn’t find a single reference to Ireland trebling its emissions. You’re a spoofer and you were caught with your pants down.
Ridiculous for Trump to say he wants to re-negotiate.
Ever country set their own targets. So effectively he’d be negotiating with himself.
Actually on second thoughts, that could get ugly……
@Brinster: he truly is an idiot.
France’s new little Napoleon is of no consequence.
@Harry Roberts: what he says is true
@Harry Roberts: Looking more like the leader of the free world than the US president.
@michael Farrelly unfortunately Macrom is a spoofer, the Paris Accord is a joke. If he wanted to do something meaningful he’d try and convert it into a legally binding international agreement. But he’s happy to act goombeen and make statement like “make the world great again”. He’s as bad as Trump, well not quite no ones that bad
Why does the deal allow countries like China and India to ramp up their pollution output? Seems nonsensical and defeats the purpose. Dumb deal.
Ireland is also on course to violate this deal I should add.
Furthermore, this deal appeared to be a massive transfer of wealth from US taxpayers to third world countries.
@Don Alfredo:
Hmmmmmm.
Brand new account.
Pro US. Anti China and climate change.
Uses Americanisms.
You wouldn’t be a troll, Don Alfredo, would you?
@Don Alfredo: China is now leading the world on developing fossil-free technologies. A long way to go but at least they are moving in the right direction rather than closing their eyes to the issue.
@Don Alfredo: China’s per capita output is half that of the US. India’s is 7 times lower. China has been working hard on reducing it.
@Don Alfredo: Not sure about China but India got a deal access to more efficient solar technology to help them jump start their renewable energy market and to help them stay away from just building tonnes of coal plants.
Its not nonsense, not when you look at the deals that were made. Its a start to dealing with a real world serious issue that will effect us all. It’s just a shame that the USA is now the only country that won’t agree to the deal.
@Don Alfredo: You seem new around these parts. you wouldn’t make stuff up, would you?
@Don Alfredo: Thats because the US already industrialised most of its country a long time ago. China and India were behind. So alloweances were made for still developing countries. They will also have to create green energy.So I would not call it unfair.
In simple terms:
America ate its cake really quickly.
China only started eating later.
America is looking at china eating cake and confused as to why it is not also allowed to eat cake (that is you).
In the current Brexit charged climate, the prevailing sentiment is that agreements are more aspirational than legally binding.
Brexit was a descent in reasoning to the point where politicians have become comfortable with contradictory language in the hope at arriving at some vague conclusion while making things up as they go along. This phenomenon began in academia a few centuries ago where an opinion on mutual attraction was used to wreck havoc with planetary motions and their effects on terrestrial sciences with nobody able to contend with the slogans and stock phrases that surrounds it even though I can.
If readers wish to know why the British politicians prefer to live out a fantasy than look at what is in front of them, they should engage in the same type of reasoning that inflicted large scale sciences like astronomy and how motions of the Earth affect terrestrial sciences like climate. The followers of ‘climate change’ are those who haven’t thought through some of the largest annual meteorological events such as why sea ice develops with the North pole at its centre.
@Gerald Kelleher: As US goes back to dirty coal and gives billions more subsidies to coal the world is going solar especially China https://qz.com/1153672/from-anhui-to-appalachia-dead-coal-mines-are-being-reincarnated-as-solar-farms/
They can even print solar panels now. http://www.pbs.org/wnet/need-to-know/environment/inkjet-printing-solar-panels-cheap-and-almost-green/10348/
@Gerald Kelleher: please seek help Gerald, for yourself and those who suffer your presence. Your delusional attitude must be very draining. Again, you claiming to be the only one to see past current mechanics principles as some type of fabrication will be seen for what it is, delusion until you concisely explain it without attitude or wandering off topic. If it can be verified then why are your ideas not more commonly accepted? Perhaps because they are just that, your own delusional claims based on poorly understood assumptions. If you spent more time with a pencil and calculator and physics book and built up an argument people may actually listen. Until then, your just noise amongst rational arguments, and for TJ that’s saying something.
@Ser Barristan Selmy: You are one of too many nuisances who can’t think for themselves but try to be funny. If you want me to explain why it is Polar noon next week when the South pole location is exactly midway to the circle of illumination then just ask -
https://www.usap.gov/videoclipsandmaps/spWebCam.cfm
The Sun will remain in view at the South pole for another 3 months while its Northern counterpart will see the Sun come into view for the first time in 6 months at the same time. It means when daily rotation is subtracted, the entire surface of the planet still turns once to the Sun but in this instance it turns parallel to the orbital plane. If you want me to help you with a globe and torch to explain this then again, just ask.
When you do ,you will be only beginning to talk about planetary climate but not before then.
@Derek:
Gerard is living proof of the Dunning-Kruger effect.
are outputs are based on population size in relation to agricultural out and car use, compare us to USA AND CHINA WE ARE a drop in ocean
@Les Boyd: And your point is?
Look at the little boy, larping as a leader, holding an altered version of Trump’s slogan. Pathetic.
@Woke Bloke: good to see somebody stand up to the bully
@Michael farrelly: Oh yeah he’s so tough
Despite growth in renewables there has been no reduction in fossil fuels – in fact 80% of world energy still comes from fossil fuels and continues to grow. This is due to billions in fossil fuel subsidies and to ever increasing population growth and will make the task of tackling runaway even more difficult. Turkey and Poland have called for woman to have many more children and the world has no intention of trying to limit population growth that also means most animals on verge of extinction and a plastic world.
@GO GREEN: It is disturbing watching UK politicians give into an ideology that it was meant to destroy via a referendum and while Ireland has managed to withstand the slogans and stock phrases and not indulge the British conviction, the temptation to be drawn into worthless arguments are always there. It takes a lot of mental strength to escape the dire language surrounding ‘climate change’ and look at planetary climate in context of all planets in the solar system rather than try to squeeze the topic into petrol pumps.
@Gerald Kelleher: Global warming is real – record low extent in the Chukchi Sea “Arctic sea ice extent for November 2017 averaged 9.46 million square kilometers (3.65 million square miles), the third lowest in the 1979 to 2017 satellite record. This was 1.24 million square kilometers (479,000 square miles) below the 1981 to 2010 average and 830,000 square kilometers (321,000 square miles) above the record low November extent recorded in 2016.” https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2017/12/record-low-extent-in-the-chukchi-sea/
@Gerald Kelleher: Ireland Recognizes Constitutional Right to a Safe Climate and Environment https://www.climateliabilitynews.org/2017/12/11/ireland-constitutional-right-climate-environment-fie/
@GO GREEN: People fault the uneducated masses for Brexit but it is really those who go with the flow of convictions without thinking things through and this is tenfold when it comes to climate. Sea ice forms with the North pole at its centre due to the fact that when daily rotation is subtracted, the planet turns once to the Sun each year -
It is coming close to Polar noon at the South pole right now and in 3 months the South pole will have turned across the fully illuminated face of the Earth and disappear from view while the North pole will turn into view. Take your time and learn this principle.
@Gerald Kelleher: Nobody disagrees with you Gerald, you are 100% correct, but you fail to mention the effect carbon emissions is having on the ices sheets – melting them to oblivion.
@GO GREEN: There is something lovely in the innocense as there are very specific reasons why this has’nt been done before . I do not require people to get into the technical ins and outs , only that they enjoy what happens at both poles as sea ice develops around the North pole due to a distinct surface rotation.
@Gerald Kelleher: sure it’s all nice and lovely to ponder yet completely unrelatable to climate change or emissions. You repeatedly bring up the polar day/night cycle as if to add to the discussion yet it has absolutely nothing to do with increasing atmospheric concentrations of GHGs then you get all romantic on the notion or condescending when people have no time for your long winded explanations of non relevant occurrence which are not foreign in the least to most people as we know the earth has a inclination of 23° meaning the sun won’t set at the one pole while the other pole is in darkness at different times of the yr. It’s not rocket science and again not at all relevant.if it was I’m sure you could have by no related it to global average temp increases.
When the rotation which causes the Polar day/night cycle ( Polar sunrise/sunset on the Equinoxes and Polar noon/midnight on the Solstices) combines with daily rotation we get the seasons. Any one of you can search through the internet looking for why the Sun comes into view on one Equinox, stays constantly in view for 6 months before disappearing from view for 6 months and you won’t find the explanation however interested readers will find it here. This is the point of departure for discussing climate and not before it.
@Gerald Kelleher:
Daily rotations have nothing to do with seasons, for example on Venus a day lasts longer than a year. Surprised you didn’t know that.
A bit like Boris Johnson backing pulling out of a deal since surely then a better one can be negotiated.
Sadly Trump’s petulance on climate change will have far reaching consequences for everyone. Shameful that there are no repercussions for America’s selfishness on this issue.
US industry and consumers will cut emissions by themselves. While politicians create the headlines and the policies the real work is done by companies and industry. The cost of renewable energy has dropped to the point where solar and wind power are more affordable than coal. When battery technology catches up soon there will be an inflection point. In terms of emissions we are not as screwed as most people fear. The real problem will be managing human population rates.
Can we please stop calling this the “Paris Agreement”. It’s the Paris accord, non legally binding or voluntary on the insistence of the Obama Administration.
Basically it doesn’t matter if it’s Trump, Obama or any other President the US doesn’t care or believe in climate change. In fact most people don’t really care as people’s lives have changed very little
@John:
Try telling that to the victims of floods, mudslides and hurricanes.
Trump is an insane buffoon…
have your say