PHE publish HIV annual surveillance data for 2019

On 3 November 2020, Public Health England (PHE) published its annual report reviewing data on new HIV diagnoses, people accessing care in the UK, and HIV testing in England in 2019.

The report finds the total number of people newly diagnosed with HIV has continued to decrease, from 4,580 in 2018 to 4,139 in 2019, which represents a fall of 34% from a peak of 6,312 new diagnoses reported in 2014. In 2019, a total of 98,552 people (30,388 females and 68,088 males) were seen for HIV care in the UK. The number of deaths among people with HIV has remained stable, with 622 deaths (498 males and 124 females) in 2019, representing a crude mortality rate of 631 per 100,000 of the population living with diagnosed HIV infection.

PHE report that the number of gay and bisexual men (GBM) with newly diagnosed HIV fell to the lowest point in 20 years, with 1,700 new HIV diagnoses in GBM in 2019. New HIV diagnoses among people who probably acquired HIV through heterosexual contact also declined to 1,559 in 2019, a fall of 6% since 2018 and a fall of 33% since 2014. Among people who probably acquired HIV through injecting drug use, new HIV diagnoses remain stable at around 100 cases per year. Other transmission routes remain rare in the UK.

The current quarterly HIV infection in Scotland surveillance report, which includes data on new reports, to 31 December 2019, can be viewed on the Health Protection Scotland (HPS) website.

Source: PHE, 3 November 2020