Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department is taking steps to create tailored HIV awareness campaigns for the black community.

HIV Prevention England (HPE) is the national HIV prevention programme for England and is funded with £3.5 million over three years by the Department of Health and Social Care, as part of the Government’s HIV Action Plan.

The programme aims to support communities who are disproportionately affected by HIV, in particular gay people, bisexual people and men who have sex with men and Black African heterosexual men and women. The Department has appointed Terrence Higgins Trust, a national charity who provide services related to sexual heath and HIV, to deliver the programme from 2021-2024. HPE delivers a nationally co-ordinated programme of HIV prevention work, including public campaigns such as National HIV Testing Week, that is designed to complement locally commissioned prevention activities in areas of high HIV prevalence. HPE also aims to improve knowledge and understanding of HIV transmission and reduce stigma within affected communities.

HPE work with a wide range of models and their network of influencers and develops its strategies based on comprehensive data, audience insight and knowledge from local partners within England, which ensure a wide range of patient voices and experiences are represented, including those within the black community. Campaigns are promoted using a multi-channel approach including specialist channels relevant to the audiences and targeting via digital platforms and social media.