World News

Compiled by Martin Flynn

European HIV cases ‘have doubled since 1999’

New cases of HIV and Aids have doubled since 1999, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ESDC).

There were over 26,000 newly diagnosed cases of HIV reported last year in the 25 EU member states. The countries with the highest HIV rates in Europe are Estonia (500 per million), Portugal (205 per million) and the UK (148 per million) and the EU countries with the lowest rates are Slovakia (5 per million), Hungary (8 per million, and Romania (8.3 per million).

The number of newly diagnosed cases reported in the UK last year is by far the highest at 8,925, followed by 5,750 in France and 2,718 in Germany.

The Health Protection Agency now estimates that there are 73,000 adults in the UK with HIV and UNAIDS revealed lower estimates of worldwide HIV infection than had been previously used – down from 40 million to 33 million.

The latest EU report says that more than half of the new infections are through heterosexual contact, although gay men remain at greater risk.

ECDC director Zzuzsanna Jakab said the true European figures are likely to be much higher as it is estimated that almost a third of people living with HIV in Europe are unaware they have the virus.
“These people are less likely to take precautions against transmitting the virus, and also unable to access treatment,” Dr Jakab said.

The EU has recently demanded more action against the growing HIV epidemic in the continent and says that the issue has slipped from the top of the political agenda.

“We have allowed it to become the forgotten disease,” EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said.

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