Gay Health Action Minister For Health Letter

Gay Health Action Minister For Health Letter

AIDS activists

AIDS awareness

AIDS education

AIDS organisations

Health care for LGBTQ+ people

HIV tests

AIDS (Disease)

HIV (Viruses)

HIV/AIDS

LGBTQ+ health education

Two letters. First letter states that it refers to AIDS and is from Gay Health Action, c/o 12 Chelmsford Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 to Mr. Barry Desmond T.D., Minister for Health, Department of Health, Customs House, Dublin 1. Dated 16 May, 1985. Opens with information about Gay Health Action. Refers to the preparation of an information leaflet on AIDS by GHA, written specifically for the gay community, which is being produced in co-operation with the Health Education Bureau. States that they are writing to Minister for Health to request information on what is already being done within the Department of Health. Notes that currently all blood samples have to be sent to England (or even the U.S.A) to be tested for AIDS antibodies. Asks how soon will laboratory facilities be available in Ireland to do this basic test? Asserts the critical importance to ensure that this test is absolutely confidential. Asks what provision is being made for the dissemination of rapidly developing knowledge about the nature, diagnosis and treatment of AIDS to health boards, and to the G.P.s within the Health Board areas? Mentions the recent International AIDS conference in Atlanta. Asks was there an observer from Ireland sent and asks are there proposals to hold a subsequent media conference in Ireland to discuss the information from the Atlanta Conference? Also inquires about training programmes for Health care workers and the employment of gay advisers at STD clinics.

Second letter is addressed to Mr. Christopher Robson, c/o 12 Shelmsford Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6 from the private secretary of the Office of the Minister for Health, Dublin 1. Dated 6 June,1985. Response to first letter (see above) dated 16 May, 1985. Mentions that "the Department of Health has been keeping the situation in the regards to Aids under review at national and international level" and "a detailed monitoring system of Aids cases identical with that used by the W.H.O [World Health Organisation] and the E.E.C. [European Economic Community] is in operation in this country at present and all appropriate medical authorities have been asked to report immediately all suspected cases to the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health. Also mentions the Department was represented at the International conference in Atlanta and appropriate future action is under consideration.

Gay Health Action

Mr. Christopher Robson

Office of the Minister for Health

Arthur Leahy Collection

1985-05-16

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application/pdf

eng

letters (correspondence)

Text

2017.21.5.1.1024 B

1985

Dublin 1

Ireland