HIV in Europe Copenhagen 2012 Conference, 19‐20 March 2012
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15.03.2012
Copenhagen/Brussels 15 March 2012
The HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe is out of control and entering into care late is fuelling an HIV/TB epidemic
The HIV epidemic is rapidly expanding in Eastern Europe. In Russia, Ukraine and Belarus the number of people living with HIV has almost tripled since 2000 and mortality is increasing. Poor access to antiretroviral therapy and prevention, serious social stigma and low political priority in some settings facilitate HIV transmission. Increased political action is needed to better manage the epidemic, locally and at the European Union level.
In spite of improved treatment options, HIV continues to be an increasing problem in Europe. One major issue is the rapidly expanding HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe. The number of people living with HIV increased by 250% from an estimated 410,000 in 2001 to 1.5 million in 2010, according to UNAIDS. The international conference HIV in Europe Copenhagen 2012 Conference, co‐funded by the EU Health Programme, taking place from 19‐20 March at the University of Copenhagen, will have these issues high on the agenda.
Since the first HIV in Europe conference was held in 2007, Western Europe has experienced constant progress, while Eastern Europe is experiencing an HIV epidemic which is now completely out of control. If you are a person living with HIV in Eastern Europe, it is extremely difficult to get access to treatment and prevention. Today, access to HIV treatment in Malawi is better than access to treatment in St. Petersburg, says Professor Jens Lundgren from the Copenhagen HIV Programme and co‐founder of the HIV in Europe Initiative.
For a large number of the people living with HIV in Eastern Europe, the disease is still a death sentence. The latest report published by UNAIDS/WHO/UNICEF shows a decrease in AIDS‐related deaths globally, but an increase in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus. One of the leading causes of death among people living with HIV is tuberculosis, which internationally is the most frequent co‐infection striking those people with an impaired immune system. The high mortality rate is also closely related to a growing number of cases of multi‐drug resistant TB and a clear result of late presentation of HIV.
The multi‐drug resistant bacteria emerges when the treatment of TB is interrupted, if the patient takes the medicine inconsistently or when the prescribed medication is insufficient. These problems often occur in
countries with insufficient and uncoordinated treatment of HIV and TB.
Last year, the European study EuroSIDA showed that 30% of people living with HIV in the Eastern European region also suffering from tuberculosis, died within 12 months after the diagnosis, and most of them died from TB. Presumably, the numbers are much higher, but we still have very few data on HIV in the region. The development of multi‐drug resistant tuberculosis is a huge problem not only for the people living with HIV, but also for the rest of the population in the region and in the rest of Europe, just like it was cautioned by WHO last year. The airborne bacteria do not respect frontiers , emphasizes Jens Lundgren.
The increase in multi‐drug resistant tuberculosis should stir the EU countries into action, but there are more aspects of the HIV boom in Eastern Europe that must lead to action, underlines Ton Coenen, co‐chair of the HIV in Europe Initiative and Executive Director at Aids Fonds and Soa AIDS Nederland.
Can Europe ignore that sections of the populations are stigmatized and refused access to the medical treatment they require? Solutions must be found in the political system, e.g. legalizing opioid substitution therapy for drug users. Stakeholders have to understand that HIV and its co‐infections will continue to spread, and at great cost to individuals and governments. We are very pleased that the EU resolution of 1 December 2011 emphasizes that HIV must be brought into focus. It is time to put more action behind the words and at the conference here in Copenhagen we bring together the most important players, says Ton Coenen.
Contact:
Dorthe Raben, Project Coordinator
HIV in Europe Secretariat
Copenhagen HIV Programme (CHIP)
University of Copenhagen
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
Phone: +45 35 45 57 57
Mobile: +45 61 70 82 60
