Europe is experiencing an HIV epidemic

WHO and the European Centre for Disease Control are calling on countries to increase the effectiveness of prevention, detection and treatment of populations at risk of HIV infection, as well as to strengthen monitoring of the health of refugees and migrants.

Last year, more than 140,000 people were diagnosed with HIV, which experts say is the highest number of new infections since the disease was first identified in 1980.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the increase in HIV incidence is linked to the situation in the eastern part, where the number of new cases of infection with the dangerous virus has more than doubled.

The virus is still spreading through sexual intercourse and among people who inject drugs. In the EU countries, the leading place is occupied by the transmission of the virus between homosexuals. 2/3 of new cases are registered among residents of Europe, the rest are among migrants and residents of other countries.

But despite all efforts to combat the spread of HIV, European countries have seen the highest number of new cases of infection since records began.

The WHO is concerned about the current situation and calls on countries to make every effort and finally stop the spread of the virus.

Since 2004, the number of new cases of infection in the European Economic Area and the EU countries has more than doubled, while in other countries the opposite situation is observed - the number of new cases of infection has decreased by 25%. But in general, the situation with the spread of HIV can be considered unchanged.

WHO experts note that the epidemic is associated with the insufficient effectiveness of the measures taken in response.

The detection rate of new HIV cases among migrants in Europe has decreased, and according to new data, infection with the virus occurs after arrival in Europe. People who have experienced military conflicts or natural disasters face a new problem – alienation from the residents of the country that has accepted them. This leads to an increased risk of infection with a dangerous virus. The attitude of European residents towards this category of people can push them to risky behavior, while refugees and migrants do not have full access to HIV-related services.

In this regard, WHO recommends providing migrants and refugees, regardless of their legal status, with a full range of services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of HIV.

The main route of HIV transmission in the EU countries is homosexuality. Since 2005, the infection rate among men who have sex with men has increased at a tremendous rate - by 12% in 9 years, with the increase observed in all EU countries.

Almost half of new HIV cases are detected at late stages, which increases the risk of significant deterioration in health, death, and transmission of the virus.

The incidence of AIDS is declining, but two-thirds of new AIDS cases were registered at the same time as HIV diagnosis or immediately after, indicating that the immune systems of HIV patients have already begun to fail.

The likelihood of late diagnosis is higher among migrants and refugees, but half of the EU countries do not provide treatment to this category of people, since most of them are not officially registered.

The new WHO guidelines note that antiretroviral therapy is necessary for all HIV patients, regardless of their CD4 count. They also recommend expanding the scope of early detection of the disease (including, in the future, HIV self-testing). According to experts, following the recommendations will improve treatment outcomes and reduce the spread of the virus and HIV-related mortality.

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