December 1, 2023
Message from EACS President Esteban Martínez. 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.