BRIGHTON and Hove has become the first city in the UK to commit itself towards eradicating HIV as a public health threat.

City council leader Warren Morgan and mayor Mo Marsh were joined by council chief executive Geoff Row and guests as they signed the Paris Declaration on Fast Track Cities Ending Aids.

The scheme is supported by more than 70 cities around the world.

Joining the initiative provides access to the resources of the international Fast Track Cities team.

This will help to better understand where the city needs to concentrate its efforts at a local level.

Coun Morgan said: “Over the last 30 years there has been incredible progress in diagnosis and treatment of people living with HIV.

“People are diagnosed earlier with HIV and can now expected to have a near normal life expectancy.

“This is mainly thanks to improvements made in preventing transmission, prompt diagnosis and effective treatments.

There is still much we can and must do to raise awareness of HIV and Aids.

Our city has one of the highest of people diagnosed with HIV outside of London.

“Signing the Paris Declaration shows our commitment to stop all new HIV infections and avert aids related deaths.”

Coun Marsh said: “This is a very exciting time for our city, which has played such an important role in supporting people with HIV and aids in the past, and we will continue to work together to create a better life for all.”

The signing took place at the mayor’s parlour in Brighton yesterday.

During the event Sue Riley from Shoreham, who is part of the Terrence Higgins Trust Positive Lives project, spoke about her experience of living with HIV for the last 11 years.

The declaration includes a pledge “to end the Aids epidemic in cities by 2030.

It also commits the city to achieving the three 90-90-90 targets set by the initiative by 2020.

These are to make sure 90 per cent of people living with HIV are aware of their status.

The second target is for 90 per cent of people who know they are HIV positive to be on treatment.

The third is for 90 per cent of people on treatment to have an undetectable viral load.

At this point there is a better chance of them having a healthier and longer life.