Alarming increase in number of HIV cases
On the eve of World AIDS Day, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe release their annual HIV/AIDS surveillance report.
The data for 2011 show that more than 121 000 new HIV cases were reported in the WHO European Region, with more than 28 000 new infections in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EU/EEA) - suggesting that it is vital to sustain HIV interventions even in times of economic austerity in order to curb the on-going HIV transmission across Europe.
The report indicates that, while the number of new HIV cases has fallen in many parts of the world, transmission shows no signs of a decline in the EU/EEA and is rising in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Further, continuing HIV outbreaks in some EU countries among people who inject drugs highlight that previously low numbers can rapidly rise in an outbreak when interventions are not sufficiently in place.
The report HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2011 shows that in the EU/EEA, HIV is highly concentrated in key populations such as men who have sex with men, who account for the majority of cases, persons originating from countries with generalised HIV epidemics and people who inject drugs.
World AIDS Day is celebrated on 1 December each year around the world. It has become one of the most widely recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have died, and celebrate victories such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.
The WHO European Region comprises 53 countries, with a population of nearly 900 million people, of which around 508 million live in the EU/EEA (27 EU Member States plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway).
