On the eve of World AIDS Day, the Albanese Government has delivered another election commitment, with the release of the report of the HIV Taskforce.
The report findings will inform the 9th National HIV Strategy, which is currently under development, and will help ramp up Australia's efforts to eliminate HIV transmission by 2030.
The report sets out recommendations on Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), testing, treatment, awareness, decriminalisation, destigmatisation and maintaining effective partnerships.
The Taskforce was chaired by Minister for Health and Aged Care, Mark Butler, and deputy chaired by Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care, Ged Kearney.
Membership included representatives of people living with HIV, academics, health professionals, sex workers, the First Nations health sector, the LGBTIQA+ community and people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.
The Government thanks the Taskforce members for their work and spirit of cooperation.
One of the enduring strengths of Australia's HIV response has been, and continues to be, bipartisanship.
The Government thanks Liberal Senator Dean Smith and Labor Senator Louise Pratt, the co-chairs of the Parliamentary Liaison Group for HIV/AIDS, Blood Borne Viruses and Sexually Transmitted Infections, who brought their passion and deep understanding of HIV issues in the community to the taskforce.
The Taskforce met four times this year and received presentations from additional experts, the input of young people at a HIV Youth Roundtable, and the proceedings of the 12th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Science.
