ECDC, WHO sound alarm over Europe's 'hidden' HIV crisis

OSLO - Europe is facing a "hidden" HIV crisis as more than half of people diagnosed with HIV in the region are identified too late for optimal treatment, jeopardizing the goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for Europe warned in a report released on Thursday.

According to the joint HIV/AIDS surveillance report based on 2024 data, 105,922 HIV diagnoses were recorded in the WHO European Region. While the total number of reported diagnoses showed a slight decrease compared with 2023, the agencies said major gaps in HIV testing and diagnosis persist.

Overall, 54 percent of HIV diagnoses in the region in 2024 were classified as late, meaning people were diagnosed at a stage where their immune systems were already significantly compromised. Late diagnosis reduces the benefits of life-saving antiretroviral treatment, increases the risk of developing AIDS and death, and heightens the chance of onward transmission.

In the 30 countries of the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA), 24,164 HIV diagnoses were reported in 2024, corresponding to 5.3 cases per 100,000 people. Of these, 48 percent were late diagnoses.

The report defines late diagnosis as having a CD4 cell count below 350 cells per cubic millimeter at the time of diagnosis, indicating that the immune system has already been significantly weakened.

"In the EU/EEA, nearly half of all diagnoses are made late. We must urgently innovate our testing strategies, embrace community-based testing and self-testing, and ensure rapid linkage to care. We can only end AIDS if people know their status," said ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner.

WHO Regional Director for Europe Hans Henri P. Kluge stressed that stigma and discrimination remain major barriers preventing people from seeking testing and care.

"We are not doing enough to remove the deadly barriers of stigma and discrimination that prevent people from seeking out a simple test. An early diagnosis is not a privilege but a gateway to a long, healthy life and the key to stopping HIV in its tracks," he said.

The agencies called for urgent steps to "routinize, normalize and scale up" HIV testing across the region.