Technical mission: HIV in Cyprus, 15–17 October

​Up until 2004, levels of HIV infection in Cyprus were relatively low, with fewer than 30 new cases diagnosed annually. However, the number of new HIV cases diagnosed annually has been on the rise since 2005: more than 50 new cases of HIV were diagnosed every year from 2011 to 2013. These new cases occurred predominantly among men who have sex with men of Cypriot nationality.

It is unclear whether this increase is due to more testing (which results in more diagnoses), an increase in the number of HIV-positive people who returned to the country after having lived abroad, or an actual increase in the number of HIV infections among MSM in Cyprus.

This report addresses this issue and provides options on how Cyprus can respond to the epidemic.