Every year, around 50 000 newly diagnosed cases of hepatitis B and C are reported across Europe but millions are unaware of their infection. Left untreated, hepatitis can cause irreversible liver damage. Hepatitis A is recognised as a re-emerging health threat in Europe.
Men who have sex with men (MSM) are the only key population in the countries of the European Union and European Economic Area that has not seen a decline in new HIV infections during the last decade.
The results of two clinical studies, PROUD and IPERGAY, suggests that the use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for men who have sex with men (MSM) is an effective HIV prevention tool for Europe.
On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of European Immunization Week, ECDC is releasing a new complement of data, tools, blogs and updates to support public health authorities in their work against vaccine preventable diseases.
On the occasion of World AIDS Day, ECDC launched the latest surveillance data on HIV in the European Region. 2014 theme: 10 years of data show that Europe is not curbing the epidemic
The use of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) as an HIV prevention strategy, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM) as well as other population groups at higher risk of HIV infection, has been receiving more and more attention during 2014. Preliminary results of clinical trials and research studies suggest that it could be an effective HIV prevention tool for Europe.
From 21 to 28 November 2014, nearly 700 organisations across Europe will host activities to increase awareness of the personal and public health benefits of HIV testing. As HIV infection can remain asymptomatic for a long time and a substantial number of infected persons across Europe are unaware of their infection, ECDC supports the aims of this second European HIV testing week.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published clinical practice guidelines on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for the prevention of HIV. In EU, most countries lack implementation data and formal licensure and guidelines.
Monitoring and responding to HIV and hepatitis C among people who inject drugs is the focus of two new reports from the EU drugs agencies EMCDDA and ECDC.