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英國將為外來人口免費治療艾滋病
Foreigners to be offered free treatment for HIV on the NHS

[ 2012-02-29 08:46]

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Foreigners will be offered treatment for Aids and HIV on the NHS for the first time.

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2012兩會雙語直通車

Foreigners are to be offered free treatment for HIV on the NHS for the first time under controversial plans backed by ministers.

Those from abroad, including failed asylum seekers, students and tourists are currently barred from receiving free HIV treatment – unlike other infectious diseases.

However, the Government is to support proposals recommended by peers which will end the “anomaly” and allow free treatment even for those not legally settled in Britain.

Campaigners argue that the free treatment is essential as it reduces the risk of Britons being infected – and can help people to be treated for HIV before their condition becomes serious and life-threatening.

However, ministers are braced for criticism that the decision may prompt so-called “health tourism” and put the NHS under financial pressure at a time when hospitals are being forced to find cuts. It typically costs up to ￡7,000 a year to treat someone diagnosed with HIV and an average of ￡300,000 per patient over their lifetime with the disease.

Last night, Anne Milton, the public health minister, said: “This measure will protect the public and brings HIV treatment in to line with all other infectious diseases. Treating people with HIV means they are very unlikely to pass the infection on to others.”

However she added: “Tough guidance will ensure this measure is not abused.”

The Government is understood to have decided to introduce free treatment amid fears that the potential costs of being diagnosed were dissuading foreigners from seeking help. There are estimated to be 25,000 people, many of whom are foreign-born, undiagnosed HIV sufferers in Britain.

The Health Protection Agency recently calculated that it costs more than ￡300,000 to treat every person who contracts the disease including those who go on to develop AIDS. The cost of treating sufferers in the last stages of their lives is particularly high.

The government believes that early diagnosis of sufferers could ultimately help cut costs before the virus is passed on to other people.

If diagnosed early, HIV, although incurable, is now treatable for many people. According to the National Aids Trust, many people taking anti-HIV drugs become non-infectious.

(Read by Emily Cheng. Emily Cheng is a journalist at the China Daily Website.)

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(Agencies)

根據英國多位部長支持的一項爭議性方案，英國國家醫療服務體系將首度向外來人口免費提供艾滋病病毒治療服務。

目前，包括不被收容所接納的人、學生和游客在內的外來人口都不能接受免費的艾滋病病毒治療，而其他傳染性疾病的免費治療服務對外國人是開放的。

英國政府將支持上院議員提出的這一議案，該提案將終結英國的“失常”現象，讓那些未在英國合法定居的人也可以享受免費治療。

倡議者認為，免費治療很重要，因為它會降低英國人被感染的風險，并能在患者病情加重、危及生命之前幫助他們治療艾滋病病毒感染。

然而，部長們也做好了迎接批評的準備，因為這一決定可能會引發“健康旅游業”，在醫院被迫尋求削減開支的辦法時，給英國國家醫療服務體系帶來財政壓力。通常治療一名艾滋病病毒感染者每年要花費7000英鎊，而每位艾滋病人患病到死亡所需的平均治療費用多達30萬英鎊。

公共衛生部部長安妮?米爾頓昨晚說：“這一舉措將保護公眾，并把艾滋病病毒治療納入和其他所有傳染性疾病一樣的醫療體系。艾滋病病毒感染者得到治療意味著他們將不大可能繼續傳染他人。”

不過，她補充說：“嚴格的指導方針將保證這一服務不被濫用。”

據了解，由于擔心外國人會因治病要花錢而不主動治病，英國政府已決定推出免費治療服務。據估計，英國有2.5萬名未診斷艾滋病病毒感染者，其中許多人是外來人口。

英國健康保護局近日估算，治療每位艾滋病感染者及后續治療的花費超過30萬英鎊。治療艾滋病晚期患者的費用尤其高。