20190227A_01B_from gov_2_Final

Response to the 2019-20 Budget: Why is there no mention of sex education for people at risk of HIV infection? Where are the resources allocated for our early- aged HIV patients? The latest Budget sheds a dim light on our next generation.

The 2019-20 Budget was released by the HKSAR Government yesterday. For healthcare, apart from around $1 billion used for the upgrading and acquisition of medical equipment, which is the average amount each year, the Government will earmark an additional $5 billion for the Hospital Authority to expedite the work in this area.  Moreover, with a view to include more drugs for patients, an additional recurrent subvention of $400 million will be provided for the HA to expand the scope of the Drug Formulary.

As expected, we found no direct areas or highlights related to HIV/AIDS issues nor HIV patients, though we were told by the Budget that more than 500 additional residential care places and 300 subsidised day care places will be provided for the elderly in the next two years. Yet of course the “elderly” as mentioned here meant the elderly in general. We still have no clue about what our government will plan for HIV and AIDS patients, though they have been calling for more support over the years. With the lack of vision and inadequate consideration laid down in the latest Budget, the above measures will definitely not be able to tackle the HIV/AIDS situation in Hong Kong.

Our press release of responding to the 2019-20 Budget is now available online. Please click on the link to download it, http://aids.org.hk/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/HKAF-Press-Release-Eng-20190227-Rev-Eris-rev.-Feb-28.pdf

#HongKongAIDSFoundation #HKAF #HIV #AIDS #HIVpositive#lovewithsextitude #hotline
#supportservice #PLHIV #香港愛滋病基金會 #熱線 #愛滋病 #愛滋病病毒抗體測試 #HIVrapidtest
#free #免費 #保密 #不記名 #自願 #voluntary #confidential #anonymous#beanAtesttaker
#knowyourstatus #ethnicminorities #少數族裔 #Budget#財政預算案 #youth