英国将为外来人口免费治疗艾滋病

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.)

双语资讯

(Agencies)

根据英国多位部长支持的一项争议性方案，英国国家医疗服务体系将首度向外来人口免费提供艾滋病病毒治疗服务。

目前，包括不被收容所接纳的人、学生和游客在内的外来人口都不能接受免费的艾滋病病毒治疗，而其他传染性疾病的免费治疗服务对外国人是开放的。

英国政府将支持上院议员提出的这一议案，该提案将终结英国的“失常”现象，让那些未在英国合法定居的人也可以享受免费治疗。

倡议者认为，免费治疗很重要，因为它会降低英国人被感染的风险，并能在患者病情加重、危及生命之前帮助他们治疗艾滋病病毒感染。

然而，部长们也做好了迎接批评的准备，因为这一决定可能会引发“健康旅游业”，在医院被迫寻求削减开支的办法时，给英国国家医疗服务体系带来财政压力。通常治疗一名艾滋病病毒感染者每年要花费7000英镑，而每位艾滋病人患病到死亡所需的平均治疗费用多达30万英镑。

公共卫生部部长安妮•米尔顿昨晚说：“这一举措将保护公众，并把艾滋病病毒治疗纳入和其他所有传染性疾病一样的医疗体系。艾滋病病毒感染者得到治疗意味着他们将不大可能继续传染他人。”

不过，她补充说：“严格的指导方针将保证这一服务不被滥用。”

据了解，由于担心外国人会因治病要花钱而不主动治病，英国政府已决定推出免费治疗服务。据估计，英国有2.5万名未诊断艾滋病病毒感染者，其中许多人是外来人口。

英国健康保护局近日估算，治疗每位艾滋病感染者及后续治疗的花费超过30万英镑。治疗艾滋病晚期患者的费用尤其高。

英国政府认为，在艾滋病早期患者将病毒传染给他人之前对其进行诊治最终将有助于降低花费。

如果在早期诊断出感染艾滋病病毒，虽然不能治愈，但却可以让许多人得到治疗。根据英国的爱滋信托基金会，许多人服用抗艾滋病病毒药物后便不再具有传染性。

Vocabulary:

NHS: National Health Service

asylum: 收容所，救济院

peer:

anomaly: 异常，不规则

braced for: 做好……的准备，为……做好准备

dissuade: 劝阻，阻止