Government allies with Elton John’s charity on HIV detection project

The government has announced a new partnership with the Elton John AIDS Foundation that aims to tackle the problem of late diagnosis of people with HIV.

A jointly-funded project, the scheme will see Public Health England ally with the charity to examine areas of the country where numbers of people without a diagnosis are high, while devising new and innovative ways of working that can contribute to changing the situation.

It is estimated that nearly 110,000 people are living with HIV in the UK. Around a quarter of these are unaware of their infection and are therefore at heightened risk of passing on the virus to others through unprotected sex.

The new project was announced by Public Health England representatives and Sir Elton John to mark World AIDS Day.

Health secretary Jeremy Hunt said: "Prevention and reducing transmission is our priority and we must make sure that testing is easily accessible, particularly for those at highest risk."

The Elton John AIDS Foundation operates internationally and counts high-profile figures such as Annie Lennox, George Michael, David Beckham and Emma Thompson among its patrons.