WHO: Europe has not yet reached its goal in the fight against HIV and AIDS
Published: Saturday, Jul 20th 2024, 07:50
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The World AIDS Conference will take place in Munich from Monday. The World Health Organization (WHO) hopes that this will give new impetus to the fight against HIV - and against the continuing stigmatization of those affected.
Ahead of the international AIDS conference, the WHO is calling for a determined fight against HIV and the associated stigma in Europe. The numbers of new infections and deaths are rising in the WHO region of Europe, but the epidemic is very unevenly distributed there, WHO Regional Director Hans Kluge told the German news agency DPA.
"The situation in the European region is one of dramatic contrasts," added the Belgian. Some countries have almost completely stopped the transmission of HIV and are on the verge of being able to say that the end of AIDS is in sight. In others, however, mortality rates remain unacceptably high. HIV diagnoses at a late stage remain a problem today and there is an urgent need to address the widespread stigmatization of those affected, which continues to hinder progress.
There is "Aids fatigue"
Kluge is hopeful that the World AIDS Conference, which begins on Monday, will raise awareness of the issue again. "The conference is also taking place at a time when the topic of HIV/Aids seems to have disappeared from the scene in many parts of the world," he said.
There is talk of "AIDS fatigue" when it comes to an issue that once played a far greater role worldwide. Today, there is a whole range of health challenges to overcome - yet we cannot afford to let up in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
110,000 new HIV diagnoses in Europe in one year
The WHO region of Europe comprises around 50 countries, including many to the east of the EU. According to Kluge, there are around three million people living with HIV in this region and an estimated 39 million worldwide. According to recent estimates, there are around 16,600 people living with HIV in Switzerland, as the Federal Office of Public Health writes on its website.
According to the latest HIV/AIDS report from WHO Europe and the EU health authority ECDC, more than 110,000 people were diagnosed with HIV in this region in 2022, a slight increase compared to 2021, but a fairly significant decrease compared to the pre-corona year 2019. The majority of diagnoses in 2022 were therefore made in the east of the region, with the highest per capita rates in Russia, Ukraine and Moldova.
According to the WHO/ECDC report, the number of reported AIDS-related deaths in Europe continued to decline from 2021 to 2022. However, according to the WHO, the latest model calculations assume that the number of deaths and new cases, including undiagnosed cases, will rise again.
Successful fight against HIV and Aids
Overall, the world has come a long way in the fight against HIV and Aids, praised Kluge. For decades, an HIV diagnosis was tantamount to a death sentence for millions of people, but then antiretroviral therapy (ART) proved to be a game changer. Between 2000 and 2021, the global number of new HIV infections fell by a whopping 49 percent, and the number of HIV-related deaths by as much as 61 percent.
"The fight against HIV/Aids is both a success story and a cautionary tale," said Kluge. In the case of Europe, we have not yet reached our goal - and not because of a lack of resources, but because of intolerance and stigmatization.
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