the figures that lead the WHO to insist on screening

The fight against HIV is far from over. In 2019, more than 136,000 people were diagnosed as positive worldwide, including around 20% in the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA) and 80% of these in the eastern part of the country. European region.

These data, released on Thursday 26 November by the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO), highlight another worrying fact: the increase in the number of people carrying the disease. HIV and go undiagnosed.

According to the ECDC and WHO, more than one in two HIV diagnoses (53%) occur late in the infection, when the immune system has already begun to fail. This means that the screening policies implemented in the various EU countries are not effective in detecting the disease at an early stage.

An increase in HIV infections across the European region

According to the study’s data, the last decade has seen the number of people diagnosed with AIDS, the final stage of untreated HIV infection, halved. However, in the EU / EEA, 74% of the 2,772 AIDS diagnoses in 2019 were made within three months of the initial HIV diagnosis. This shows that there is a significant problem with late diagnosis of HIV infection. However, late diagnosis contributes to continued HIV transmission because, often for years, people do not know they are HIV positive and do not receive treatment.

Another not very encouraging figure: the 10% increase since 2010 in the number of newly diagnosed HIV-positive people across the European region. By contrast, the percentage of new diagnoses in EU / EEA countries decreased by 9% over the same period.

According to the authors of the ECDC and WHO report, the number of new HIV diagnoses and the estimated number of new HIV infections in the European region show that the number of people infected with HIV over the past decade has exceeded the number of people diagnosed. So this indicates that the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV is on the rise. In EU and EEA countries, the opposite trend was observed: the number of people living with undiagnosed HIV has decreased.

Too late diagnosis in over 50s

HIV / AIDS surveillance data for 2019 also shows that the percentage of people diagnosed late increases with age. For example, in the European region as a whole, 67% of people aged 50 and over were diagnosed late in the course of HIV infection. In 2019, one in five new HIV diagnoses were made in people over the age of 50.

This could be related to an underestimation of the risk of infection by the elderly themselves or by healthcare professionals. Older people may also be more affected by the stigma associated with the disease and less comfortable requesting a screening test.

Rethinking European policies for early diagnosis

For Dr. Andrea Ammon, director of ECDC, the fight against the global epidemic of Covid-19 should not lose sight of other public health problems such as HIV. “If we want to reduce the high percentage of people diagnosed late, it is essential to diversify our HIV testing strategies, as indicated for example in the ECDC test guide.”

To reduce the number of future HIV infections, Europe needs to focus on three main areas, says the ECDC. First, prioritize a range of preventative measures, such as raising awareness, promoting safe sex through condom distribution, or establishing needle exchange and treatment programs. opioid substitution. HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) should also be promoted.

It is also essential to implement effective screening services for IGV for rapid diagnosis.

Finally, we need to ensure quick access to quality care and care for those diagnosed. Early diagnosis is important because it allows people to start HIV treatment earlier, which increases their chances of living long, healthy lives and prevents further transmission, ECDC recalls.