The tools to end new HIV infections and AIDS exist. The knowledge on how to use them is agreed upon. Nevertheless late diagnosis of HIV remains a challenges across the European Union and European Economic Area.
From diagnosis of HIV to successful viral suppression: in a rapid communication published in Eurosurveillance, ECDC and co-authors from Public Health England and The National AIDS Trust summarise the progress towards HIV elimination in 52 countries in Europe and Central Asia. The main issues: diagnosing those who are unaware of their HIV infection and treating them.
In the EU/EEA, almost every second HIV diagnosis happened at a late stage in 2017. This means diagnosis several years after infection.
In 2007, 49 % of those with a CD4 cell count reported at HIV diagnosis were diagnosed late (several years after infection).
The HIV estimates accuracy tool is an end user application that uses statistical methods to calculate adjusted estimates from HIV surveillance data taking into account the issues of missing data and reporting delay.
This report is the latest in a series published jointly by European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe that has been reporting data on HIV and AIDS in the WHO European Region and in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) since 2007.
With nearly 160 000 people newly diagnosed with HIV, 2017 marked another year of alarming numbers of new HIV diagnoses in the WHO European Region. In contrast, the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) countries reported a decline in rates of new diagnoses, mainly driven by a 20% decrease since 2015 among men who have sex with men.
This guidance aims to provide EU/EEA countries with an evidence-based framework to help develop, implement, monitor and evaluate their own national HBV, HCV and HIV testing guidelines and programmes.
In a two-day meeting organised by ECDC and UNAIDS, representatives of 22 European countries discussed how to improve the delivery of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) across Europe. The meeting brought together country delegates, PrEP users and community HIV advocates to seek ways to strengthen the provision and monitoring of PrEP.