The European Parliament’s (EP) Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control – ECDC developed a study “Health-related quality of life in people living with HIV”.
HIV infection continues to affect the health and well-being of millions of people in the European Region. Although new HIV infections appear to be declining overall, nearly 15,000 people in the EU/EEA and more than 100,000 people in the broader WHO European Region are diagnosed with HIV annually. About half of new HIV diagnoses occur at a late stage and are associated with higher HIV-morbidity and mortality. Overall, only 8% of countries in the WHO European Region (53% of all EU/EEA counties) have met or exceeded the UNAIDS Fast Track targets of 90% diagnosed, 90% on antiretroviral treatment (ART), 90% virally suppressed and 73% of all people living with HIV (PLHIV) virally suppressed.
The EU/EEA as a whole achieved two of the three 90-90-90 targets by 2020 (88% of people living with HIV were diagnosed, 93% diagnosed started treatment and 91% of those on treatment were virally supressed. HIV remains a concentrated epidemic in the European region, meaning people belonging to key populations, including men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, migrants, sex workers and prisoners, constitute most of those affected by HIV in many countries. For all of these key populations, it is important that accessibility along the entire HIV continuum of care is supported by implementing patient-centred services in a non-stigmatising and inclusive environment, preferably with the involvement of civil society.
This paper gives a better picture of the current situation in relation to HIV among people living with HIV in the EU, HIV-related stigma and issues which impact on health-related quality of life for people living with HIV.
Source – https://www.europarl.europa.eu
