AIDS In Ireland Minister For Health And Social Welfare Address

AIDS In Ireland Minister For Health And Social Welfare Address

AIDS (Disease)

HIV (Viruses)

Epidemiology

Blood donors

HIV/AIDS

LGBTQ+ blood donors

Text of a speech by Barry Desmond, T.D., Minister for Health and Social Welfare, on behalf of Department of Health, Custom House, Dublin 1 and issued by the Government Information Services. Speech addresses "the spread of A.I.D.S in Ireland and on the measures being adopted to combat the spread of the disease." Speech was presented at the Annual Dinner of the Royal College of Physicians - Faculty of Pathology at 8pm on Friday 25 October, 1985. States that "it is essential we do everything possible to avoid unnecessary media or public hysteria." Makes reference to "an A.I.D.S. monitoring system" that was set-up by the Department last year (1984), which "provided accurate information about the incidence of the disease in Ireland." Notes the "important measures" taken to protect "all sections of the public": heat-treated products for haemophiliacs; ensuring the HTLV 3 virus is not spread through blood transfusions; and an anti-body screening service for at-risk groups. Claims that: "Until a vaccine is available education remains the only other weapon in our arsenal against this disease." Notes that 6 of the 7 cases of AIDS in Ireland are "'imported' cases - the other case is a haemophiliac, and "recent research has indicated that the virus is now indigenous in this country." Discusses a strategy to combat AIDS, new facilities for AIDS screening, such as the important development of the new Central Laboratory in Cork which was due to be fully operational in early 1986.

Barry Desmond, T.D., Minister for Health and Social Welfare

Arthur Leahy Collection

1985-10-25

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application/pdf

eng

speech

Text

1985

Dublin