Culturally competent services are essential to breakdown community barriers as over 50% of HIV cases come from migrants.
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe warn the critical flaws in late HIV testing, as approximately 54% of all HIV diagnoses were made too late for effective treatment.
Europe is struggling to meet the 2030 goal of ending AIDS. The growing number of undiagnosed HIV cases are imperiling public health efforts.(1✔ ✔Trusted Source
Europe’s hidden HIV crisis – Half of all people living with HIV in Europe are diagnosed late, threatening to undermine the fight against AIDS
Go to source
)
According to the annual HIV/AIDS surveillance report, 105 922 HIV diagnoses were made in the WHO European Region in 2024, covering 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia.
While overall reported numbers show a slight decrease compared to 2023, the available data suggest that testing and diagnosis gaps remain.
The high proportion of late diagnoses means that many people are not accessing life-saving antiretroviral treatment and healthcare early enough, which increases the risk of developing AIDS, the risk of death and onward HIV transmission.
TOP INSIGHT
Did You Know?
Not accessing early #HIV drugs leads to heightened risk of developing #AIDS. WHO calls for immediate efforts for wider access to #self_testing, eliminating the testing gap. #worldAIDSday #HIVtesting #publichealth #HIVcrisis #late_diagnosis
Key Trends in European HIV Transmission
In the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), 24 164 HIV diagnoses were reported, representing a rate of 5.3 per 100 000 people. Key findings from the 2024 data show that 48% of HIV diagnoses in the EU/EEA are late.
Sex between men remains the most common mode of transmission in the EU/EEA (48%), but diagnoses attributed to heterosexual transmission are rising, accounting for nearly 46% of the HIV diagnoses reported.
Dr. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, ECDC Director, said: “In the EU/EEA, nearly half of all diagnoses are made late. We must urgently innovate our testing strategies, embrace community-based testing and self-testing, and ensure rapid linkage to care. We can only end AIDS if people know their status.”
Across the WHO European Region 54% of diagnoses were late, this proportion was highest among people infected through heterosexual transmission (especially men) and people who inject drugs.
Addressing Disparities in HIV Diagnosis for Tailored Care
Nearly one in three HIV diagnoses in 2024 were among people born outside the country where they were diagnosed. In the EU/EEA, migrants accounted for more than half of new diagnoses, highlighting the need for tailored, accessible, and culturally competent prevention and testing services.
Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, said: “Our data paints a mixed picture. Since 2020, HIV testing across the European Region has rebounded, resulting in a higher volume of reported tests and a corresponding rise in HIV diagnoses in 11 countries in 2024.”
In 2024 alone, 105,922 people were diagnosed with HIV, with an overall 2.68 million diagnoses reported since 1980s. However, the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV is growing, a silent crisis that’s fueling transmission.
Reaching the Underserved through Community Testing
“We are not doing enough to remove the deadly barriers of stigma and discrimination that prevent people from seeking out a simple test. An early diagnosis is not a privilege but a gateway to a long, healthy life and the key to stopping HIV in its tracks.”
ECDC and WHO/Europe are calling for urgent efforts to routinise, normalise and scale up testing, including wider access to self-testing and community-based options, which can reach people who do not access facility-based healthcare services.
The 2030 goal to end AIDS as a public health threat is within reach, but only if the European region acts now to eliminate the testing gap.
Reference:
- Europe’s hidden HIV crisis – Half of all people living with HIV in Europe are diagnosed late, threatening to undermine the fight against AIDS – (https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en/news-events/europes-hidden-hiv-crisis-half-all-people-living-hiv-europe-are-diagnosed-late)
Source-Eurekalert