In a bid to enhance collaboration and share best practices in HIV prevention and control, representatives from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), Cyprus, and Egypt convened in Cairo for the first Exchange of Experts meeting in 2024.
Progress towards ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 is variable across the region, and most countries in Europe and Central Asia are currently far from achieving the 2025 targets.
In August 2020, Global Outbreak and Alert and Response Network (GOARN) sent a request for assistance for epidemiologists to be deployed to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to support the Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak response in the Equateur Province.
ECDC has developed an operational guidance to support countries in their efforts and to harmonise the overall approach taken to PrEP implementation in the region.
One of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals is to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. Still, 2 094 AIDS cases were reported in the EU/EEA during 2019. This shows a significant problem with late diagnosis of HIV infection. Detecting HIV only years after the infection is one reason for on-going transmission in Europe. One in every four AIDS cases occurred long after HIV diagnosis, indicating insufficient linkage to HIV care, access to antiretroviral treatment and adherence support.
European Testing Week is a European campaign that encourages partner organisations, in community, health care and policy institutions, throughout Europe to unite for one week twice a year to increase testing efforts and promote awareness on the benefits of earlier hepatitis and HIV testing.