World AIDS Day 2005: EU commits to help combat the rising epidemic

Following World AIDS Day, the European Commission is to step-up the fight against HIV/AIDS. The various initiatives present themselves against a backdrop of the escalating number of reported new HIV cases over the last 4 years, with young people being the main victims.


A new European Commission Communication

To help combat the rise of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Europe and neighbouring countries, the Commission has adopted a Communication detailing concrete steps for 2006-2009.

The latest UNAIDS’s report estimates that 2.3 million people leave with HIV/AIDS within the European region. Furthermore, the latest statistics from the Eu-funded Euro-HIV clearly indicate that young people are among the main victims of the resurgence of the epidemics. EuroHIV ,created in 1984, coordinates the surveillance activities on HIV/AIDS within the 52 countries of the World Health Organisation European Region (WHO/Europe). In 2008, it is expected that the network will be integrated to the ECDC.

Therefore, the European Commission’s Communication addresses the following elements:

- involvement of civil society

- prevention of new infections

- drug dependence

- research

- education, counseling and testing

Public Health actions

The newly established European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) is expected to take a leading role regarding HIV/AIDS. The ECDC plans to focus its activities on improving the knowledge of the epidemic in Europe and the measures that would be effective to combat it. Secondly, the ECDC will target more specifically drug-resistant strains of HIV.

These initiatives follow the European Commission Programme for Action to strengthen Europe’s support to confront HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis outside the EU’s borders.

Earlier on this year, the European Commission established 3 bodies dedicated to coordinating the fight against HIV/AIDS in Europe and neighbouring countries.

It should also be mentioned that under the Public Health Programme (2003-2008), the EU has co-financed projects targeted to the surveillance of HIV/AIDS and the prevention of the spread of HIV.

Research activities

EU-funded research activities to develop new drugs and vaccines that can be used to prevent the spread of the disease fall into 2 categories: HIV clinical trials in humans and industry-led projects. Microbicides are also a new alternative to protect women.

Another approach that is being supported is the development of drugs that might prevent further infection by the virus.

The benefits of antiretroviral therapies have also recently been highlighted by areport of the World Health Organisation Health Evidence Network.

Related EPHA articles
- One World ’05 HIV/AIDS seminar

Last modified on December 20 2005.