The NHS has never been under such a huge amount of strain. Strengthening our ability to detect and treat diseases abroad will mean fewer infectious diseases reach the UK reducing the burden on an overstretched health system.
Infectious diseases do not respect national borders. By detecting and treating diseases at source, we can prevent them from reaching us here at home in the UK in the first place.
As a world leader in science and technology, our experts can end diseases globally - and deserve to be recognised and celebrated for it.
Consultant Respiratory Physician, St Mary’s Hospital
“We must stop diseases like TB at source. TB ‘anywhere’ is TB ‘everywhere’. It is unsurprising that TB cases are still rising after funding to tackle it in other countries has been reduced. Global health security must sit alongside medical equipment, drugs and diagnostics in the doctor’s bag of the 21st century.”
Consultant in HIV and Sexual Health, Dean Street Clinic London
“The UK has achieved great successes in HIV treatment and prevention in many communities but there continue to be underserved groups who unfortunately for this is still not the case. Cutting HIV funding globally drives inequitable access to HIV diagnosis and increases stigma. Continued and reinforced stigma around living with HIV can lead to people attending later for testing, diagnosis and care which places a greater burden on the NHS.”
Professor of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Imperial College London
“Protecting health in the UK requires stopping diseases like malaria and TB at source. These diseases don't respect borders, so rising cases are a predictable consequence of funding to tackle them in other countries being decimated. If politicians retreat from investing in global health security today, it means we will see more devastating diseases tomorrow.”
