The Australian Government's continued investment in HIV prevention, testing and treatment confirmed in tonight's 2025/26 Federal Budget, puts Australia a step closer to virtual elimination of transmission, according to Health Equity Matters, the peak body for the HIV response.
$2.7 million in 2025–26 to extend ACON's (our New South Wales member organisation) National Multicultural Peer Navigation Pilot and ASHM's HIV PrEP Workforce Development Pilot, builds upon the $43.9 million for HIV initiatives and $126.5 million for bloodborne viruses (BBVs) and sexually transmissible infections (STIs) allocated in the previous budget, demonstrating the Federal Government's ongoing commitment to the virtual elimination of HIV transmission in Australia.
"Tonight's budget reinforces the Albanese Government's dedication to the virtual elimination of HIV transmission in Australia," said Dash Heath-Paynter, CEO of Health Equity Matters. "The continued investment in HIV prevention, testing, and treatment programming recommended by the National HIV Taskforce, chaired by Minister Butler, is absolutely essential, Health Equity Matters CEO Dash Heath-Paynter said.
Health Equity Matters strongly endorses the formal funding of a $15.5 million LGBTIQA+ health plan announced in December which includes a grants program, reinvestment in La Trobe University's 'Private Lives' and 'Writing Themselves In' health and wellbeing surveys, and $500,000 to expand a specialised intersex mental health and wellbeing service.
Health Equity Matters also acknowledges the Albanese Government's broader health investments that will benefit our communities.
The Government is making life-saving medicines even more affordable, with the maximum cost of a script under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) to be reduced to $25, creating significant benefit to people who need to take daily HIV anti-retroviral medicine or PrEP.
The budget also allocates new investment of $8.5 billion to deliver an additional 18 million bulk billed GP visits each year. For people who struggle to afford visits to the doctor, this investment improves access to health and significantly reduces out-of-pocket costs for some patients. This will make a visit to the doctor for HIV and STI screening and prevention advice cheaper.
Australia's HIV response is underpinned by a multi-partisan approach to policy development and program investment. We acknowledge the Coalition's previous endorsement of the National HIV Taskforce report and commend the Opposition for matching Labor's investment in bulk-billing and cheaper medicines.
Health Equity Matters looks forward to continuing its work with members across the parliament to implement evidence based programming and initiatives to achieve the virtual elimination of HIV transmission by 2030 and to reduce future expenditure on healthcare through averted HIV infections.
