Urgent action is now required as figures from a new sexual health study show that the rates of HIV infection are on the rise.
Wigan health chiefs are calling for urgent action to be taken in their borough in particular, as figures show an alarming rise in the number of people there whose wellness and wellbeing is being negatively affected by the disease.
In 2006, there were just 86 sufferers reported, whereas by 2011 this had rocketed to 189. Due to this alarming figure, there have been calls for health workers to work in closer cooperation to help protecting the public from this growing threat.
The lead commissioner for sexual health at Wigan Council, Eleanor Mansell, said that she was disappointed to see a rise in the cases of HIV in the borough, but was confident that ways would be found to tackle the problem, if health professionals would work in close collaboration to find solutions. For example, there would be more opportunities for people to be tested for HIV in community clinics, and this should help to reduce the number of people who are in the later stages of HiV before they are diagnosed. This will remove unnecessary suffering, help to prevent the spread of the disease (as people often unwittingly spread it before they are diagnosed) and help to increase the health of all patients.
Nearly a quarter of the patients who were diagnosed with HIV last year were aged over 50, and this trend is echoed across the North West of the country, with the over-50s being around one fifth of the cases of HIV diagnosed in the region. This number is expected to triple over the next decade, as HIV treatments improve and sufferers consequently live longer.