Standard of Care for HIV and Co-infections in Europe

The EACS Standard of Care Working Group’s goal is to collect and diffuse data on standard of care including the progress and pitfalls in different European regions as well as to provide a platform aiming to share these data among different stakeholders.

The Standard of Care for HIV and Co-infections in Europe meeting aims to convene not only healthcare professionals and clinicians from across Europe active in the fight against HIV and Co-infections but also stakeholders/partners and the community.

Standard of Care Meeting 2026

The Standard of Care meeting 2026 will take place in Budapest, Hungary​ on 8-9 October​. 

The meeting will be chaired by Botond Lakatos (Hungary)​ and Arjan Harxhi (Albania). 

Meeting Objectives

• To strengthen the HIV care continuum in Central and Eastern Europe, with a specific focus on host countries Hungary and Albania, by addressing gaps in diagnosis, retention, and viral suppression, and by promoting implementation and auditing of ECDC/EACS Standards of Care.
• To highlight and reduce regional disparities in HIV burden and access to prevention, (integrated) testing, treatment, and support services through harmonised approaches and strengthened collaboration.
• To advance equity for vulnerable and marginalised populations, including women, Roma communities, migrants, refugees, and homeless individuals, by expanding access to inclusive and novel HIV services and combating stigma.
• To provide participants with a clear understanding of the published modules of the ECDC/EACS Standards of HIV Care, and to enable them to develop locally adaptable guidance and a sustainability plan that supports effective implementation, auditing, and long‑term maintenance of these Standards across European healthcare settings.
• To enhance professional development and knowledge exchange among healthcare providers through training, interactive workshops, and multidisciplinary collaboration, integrating psychosocial support into care standards.
• To promote supportive political and policy environments by raising awareness of systemic barriers, engaging policymakers in dialogue, and developing recommendations for inclusive, adequately funded HIV strategies.

About The Meeting

The EACS Standard of Care Working Group recommends that the standard of care meeting and other policy activities of the Society stay close to the needs of patients and care givers. Benchmarks for access to care as well as and standard of care, have not yet been defined. The quality assessment could be used both qualitatively and quantitatively in the years to come.

Information on the current European situation shared during the meeting will constitute the basis to elaborate a common platform for a European standard of care, which is currently lacking. This project involves not only clinicians but also individuals living with HIV, community representatives and institutional partners. EACS with its role as a pan-European Society has chosen not only to organise the platform for this project but also to advocate for the implementation of the European standard of care across all EU and non-EU European countries.

Standard of Care Scientific Committee