40 Years of HIV in Europe: achievements, challenges, and the path forward on World AIDS Day

On this World AIDS Day, we pause to consider the past forty years of HIV in Europe, acknowledging both remarkable achievements and the hurdles that still lie ahead.

While we celebrate progress, we must also confront ongoing challenges including disparities in standards of care across Europe, persistent stigma and discrimination, high and unchanged rates of late diagnosis, war in Ukraine and treatment of migrant populations.

This year, we’re emerging from the success of our recent biennial Conference in Warsaw—the first face-to-face meeting after COVID. With a special focus on Eastern Europe and Ukraine, the Conference brought together the HIV community and the scientific community to ensure that the experiences of those we serve remain at the heart of our mission.

Our commitment to education and training grows stronger every year. We want to equip HIV clinicians, researchers, and other healthcare professionals with the knowledge to provide the best care possible to their patients. Well-established initiatives like YING, WAVE, HIV Summer School, and the Medical Exchange Programme, are joined by new projects such as an Diploma in HIV Medicine. It will contribute to the harmonisation of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and competencies in the practice of HIV medicine across Europe and beyond.

Our work in Standard of Care - including our annually updated guidelines - remain fundamental, setting benchmarks in Europe and beyond. We are dedicated to making these resources more user-friendly and reflective of diverse experiences and expertise.

We're facing a future in which more collaboration can only bring more value. Whether it’s the community, public institutions like ECDC, WHO, or the EU, medical societies and other stakeholders, working together strengthens our collective response to HIV.

As EACS aspires to be a leading actor in Europe and a global reference in HIV prevention and clinical care, we extend an open invitation to new members. New perspectives from different countries will help us move forward faster. 

Today let us commemorate those we have lost to HIV and celebrate the progress we have made. Let us also renew our commitment to our cause: a world where HIV is no longer a global threat.

Dr Esteban Martínez, 

EACS President

Watch the video on 40 years of HIV in Europe