HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2013

Three decades after the beginning of HIV surveillance in Europe, HIV infection continues to be of major public health importance in the Region. In 2013, 136 235 new HIV infections were diagnosed in 51 of the 53 countries of the WHO European Region1. Of those infections, 56 507 were officially reported to ECDC/WHO Regional Office for Europe by 50 countries including 29 157 infections from the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA)2, while information about 79 728 infections was published by the Russian Federal Scientific and Methodological Centre for Prevention and Control of AIDS.

Surveillance data suggest an overall rate of 7.8 diagnoses per 100 000 population for the WHO European Region and 5.7 per 100 000 for the EU/EEA (Figure A). When data for Russia are included, the regional rate is 15.7 per 100 000 population. As in recent years, rates are highest in the East of the Region and lowest in the Centre (Table A). The main transmission mode varies by geographical area, illustrating the diversity in the epidemiology of HIV in Europe; heterosexual transmission is the main mode of transmission in the WHO European Region, while sexual transmission between men is the most common mode in the EU/EEA and transmission through injecting drug use remains substantial in the East of the Region.

In 2013, 15 789 AIDS cases were diagnosed in 49 countries of the WHO European Region and the rate of new diagnoses was 2.2 per 100 000 population for the WHO European Region and 0.9 per 100 000 for the EU/EEA3. Although the number of AIDS cases continued its steady decline in the West and the EU/EEA, it has tripled in the East since 2004.