Ireland sees 15% increase in HIV and syphilis cases

Ireland is experiencing a 15% rise in HIV and syphilis cases, prompting calls for a new national sexual health strategy. The previous strategy, launched a decade ago, has not been updated, leading to concerns about inadequate sexual health services. Junior Health Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor stated that the new strategy has completed stakeholder consultations and is now moving to the design stage. It will include an action plan for implementation over the first three years. To address rising STI rates, the government has increased funding for HIV prevention medication, allocating €550,000 for 2025. This brings the total funding for HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis to €6.45 million.