As Britain's HIV and AIDS epidemic continues a Parliamentary Select Committee report has - yet again - totally neglected to address the central issue, even though their own findings clearly point to it.
"In the United Kingdom, two groups—MSM and those from black African communities—are at highest risk of acquiring HIV. Of those diagnosed in 2010, just over 3,000 (45%) were MSM, and just over 1,700 (26%) identified as black African.[39] The majority of infections diagnosed in 2010 amongst MSM were acquired within the United Kingdom, whereas the majority of those newly diagnosed in the black African community were infected abroad.[40] Of those diagnosed with HIV and seen for care in 2009 (the latest year for which figures are available), 43% were MSM, and 33% were from black African communities."
In case we have any doubts, they've included a graph showing cases from 2000 until 2009 - which clearly shows a rapid acceleration in the number of cases among Black African Heterosexuals within the UK.
Most were infected abroad - meaning either on visits/holidays or, most likely, were quite probably already infected when they arrived in the UK to begin with.
Lax border control contributes greatly to the rising HIV epidemic within the UK, it is as simple as that.
And, it is a costly epidemic - the select committee report gives a total spend of £792million per year on treatment. That's a huge amount of money at a time when we're supposedly in a time of austerity, and it is a burden which grows year on year.
There is no cure, as the report itself is entitled, so HIV and AIDS present a long term, ever growing, drain on the NHS.
But, no, closing our borders, or requiring some form of testing prior to entry into the UK, is not among the reports recommendations.
Instead we are told that we should be providing free, lifelong healthcare for any asylum seeker and foreigner, whether failed or not.
"Charging people for their HIV treatment and care is wrong for public health, practical and ethical reasons. We recommend that HIV should be added to the list of conditions in the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989, for which treatment is provided free of charge to all of those accessing care, regardless of residency status."
There, free healthcare. Just turn up here with HIV or AIDS, the British taxpayer will foot the bill for your treatment via an already overburdened NHS.
Human rights rulings await, if they've not already taken place. Deporting someone with HIV will breach their human rights because they'll not have access to medical treatment in their home country.
You know that will happen, if it hasn't already.
The change proposed by the select committee report will make us even more of a mecca for those from abroad who have the HIV virus.
Free treatment for years awaits if you can get into Britain.
It won't reduce the number of HIV cases here, it will increase them as it will transform us, more than we already are, into the doctor of first choice for the entire world.
If we are in any way serious about controlling HIV - and for that matter TB - within the UK then the best possible treatment would be to prevent it from becoming Britain's problem to begin with by strengthening our borders.
We will continue to labour under ever increasing epidemics, which can in large part be attributed to the importation of infected people, until the day that we stop importing those people and stop giving them every encouragement to come here.
Select Committee Report - Here
As Britain's HIV and AIDS epidemic continues a Parliamentary Select Committee report has - yet again - totally neglected to address the central issue, even though their own findings clearly point to it.
And, it is a costly epidemic - the select committee report gives a total spend of £792million per year on treatment. That's a huge amount of money at a time when we're supposedly in a time of austerity, and it is a burden which grows year on year.
