Terrance Higgins Trust has appointed England’s deputy chief medical officer Professor Thomas Waite to its board of trustees.

Waite is an epidemiologist and public health physician and has also worked in public health in Ethiopia.

He has joined to help the charity’s mission of ending new cases of HIV in the UK within the next six years.

The charity adds that he “is also a proud gay man and is committed to reducing stigma and raising awareness that people living with HIV cannot pass the virus on”.

In this year’s King’s birthday honours he was awarded an OBE for services to public health.

“All of us at Terrence Higgins Trust are incredibly proud to have Professor Waite on our board of trustees,” said the charity’s chair Jonathan McShane.

“He has an excellent track record in public health and the leadership he has provided was critical in the roll out of opt-out HIV testing in high prevalence areas.

“We know his expertise will be vital as we do everything in our power to end new cases of HIV by 2030.”

Waite added: “I am thrilled to have been appointed to Terrence Higgins Trust’s board of trustees in this critical time as the UK strives to end new cases of HIV by 2030.

“I know from being across the table from Terrence Higgins Trust that we cannot achieve this historic goal without their unique contribution. The charity has been supporting people living with HIV since the early 1980s and although their work is very different today, it is still life-changing. People living with HIV rely on their support as much as ever.

“There is so much progress to celebrate, but as the numbers of get lower and lower, the efforts must get higher and higher.

“We have to keep the action up – that’s why I am looking forward to the opportunity of working with Terrence Higgins Trust towards a future where there are no new HIV cases and HIV stigma is a thing of the past.”

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