KEY FACTS ON EUROPEAN HIV EPIDEMIC AND PROGRESS IN 2012
Global report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2012 – UNAIDS
HIV surveillance in Europe 2011 – ECDC, WHO Regional Office for Europe
European Action Plan for HIV/AIDS 2012–2015 – WHO Regional Office for Europe
Embargoed until 00:01 CET, 30 November 2012
EPIDEMIC OVERVIEW
Estimates published in the Global report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2012
Surveillance data published in HIV surveillance in Europe 2011 report
Estimated number of people living with HIV (at end of 2011)
 Worldwide an estimated 34 million people [range: 31 400 000 - 35 900 000] were living with
HIV at the end of 2011.
 The estimated number of people living with HIV in Europe was 2 300 000.
 The estimated number of people living with HIV in western and central Europe grew from
640 000 [range: 590 000–710 000] in 2001 to 900 000 [range: 830 000–1.0 million] in 2011.
 The estimated number of people living with HIV in eastern Europe and central Asia grew
from 970 000 [range: 760 000–1.2 million] in 2001 to 1.4 million [range: 1.1–1.8 million] in
2011.
Estimated new HIV infections in 2011
 An estimated 2.5 million [range: 2 200 000 - 2 800 000] people worldwide were newly
infected with HIV in 2011. This number is 20% lower than in 2001.
 An estimated 30 000 [range: 21 000–40 000] people in western and central Europe were
newly infected with HIV in 2011, an increase from 29 000 [range: 26 000–34 000] in 2001.
 An estimated 140 000 [range: 91 000–210 000] people in eastern Europe and central Asia
were newly infected with HIV in 2011, an increase from 130 000 [range: 99 000–170 000] in
2001.
 Estimated number of new cases began accelerating in eastern Europe and central Asia in
late 2000s after having remained relatively stable for several years.
Diagnosed and reported new HIV infections in Europe in 2011
 Because of low access to and uptake of HIV testing and counselling, especially among the
populations most at risk of infection and transmission, not all HIV cases in Europe are
diagnosed. Therefore, the estimated number of infections differs, sometimes substantially,
from the number of diagnosed cases captured by national surveillance systems.
 WHO European Region has a comprehensive HIV/AIDS surveillance network in which all
countries annually report data on diagnosed cases to WHO/Europe and the European Centre
for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
 In 2011, 53 974 newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection were reported to WHO/Europe and
ECDC by 50 of the 53 countries in the WHO European Region (data not available from
Monaco, Russian Federation and Uzbekistan; in addition, data not available from
Liechtenstein, which is not a WHO/Europe Member State). Russian Federation reported 67
317 new infections in 2011 through the database of the Federal Statistics Agency.
1










The countries in the East reported 46% of new cases, 49% were reported in the West and 6%
in the Centre1. The rate was highest in the East (22.4 per 100 000) as compared to the West
(6.5 per 100 000) and the Centre (1.6 per 100 000). However, after adjusting for inclusion of
67 317 new cases recorded in the Russian Federation, the percentage of new cases in the
East would exceed the percentage in the West.
The highest rates were reported from Ukraine (38.0 per 100 000), Estonia (27.3 per 100
000), San Marino (25.6 per 100 000) and Republic of Moldova (20.3 per 100 000).
In 2011, 28 038 newly diagnosed cases of HIV infection were reported by the countries of
the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA) (data not available from
Monaco or Liechtenstein).
The highest rates were reported by Estonia (27.3 per 100 000), Latvia (13.4 per 100 000),
Belgium (10.7 per 100 000) and United Kingdom (10.0 per 100 000).
In the 50 countries that have consistently reported HIV surveillance data over the period
2004–2011 (data not consistently reported by Monaco, Russian Federation and Uzbekistan),
the rate of new HIV diagnoses per 100 000 population has increased by 16% from 6.6 per in
2004 to 7.6 in 2011.
Although the main transmission routes for the virus vary by geographical area, HIV in all
European countries disproportionally affects populations that are socially marginalised (such
as migrants) and people whose behaviour is socially stigmatized (such as men who have sex
with men) or illegal (such as people who inject drugs).
In eastern Europe and central Asia 37.6% of cases newly reported in 2011 were in people
who inject drugs, while the heterosexual transmission was reported for 56.7% of new cases.
In recent years the East has experienced an increasing proportion of heterosexually
transmitted HIV cases likely associated with sexual transmission from drug injectors.
The proportion of cases among men who have sex with men in the East is low and likely to
be under reported.
In the western part of the Region, the epidemic remains concentrated among men who
have sex with men (accounting for 40.1% of newly diagnosed cases in 2011) and migrants
from countries with generalized epidemics (accounting for more than one third of
heterosexually acquired infections).
Estimated AIDS cases and AIDS-related deaths
 Worldwide, the annual number of AIDS-related deaths is steadily decreasing from 2.3 million
[range: 2 100 000 - 2 600 000] in 2005 to an estimated 1.7 million [range: 1 500 000 - 1 900
000] in 2011 – a 24% decline.
 In western and central Europe, an estimated 7 000 [range: 6 100–7 500] adults and children
died of AIDS in 2011, down from the estimated 7 800 [range: 7 600–9 000] in 2005.
 In eastern Europe and central Asia, estimated AIDS-related deaths increased 21% (from
about 76 000 [range: 58 000 - 100 000] in 2005 to 92 000 [range: 63 000 - 120 000] in 2011).
Diagnosed and reported AIDS cases and AIDS-related deaths in Europe in 2011
 Among the 49 countries consistently reporting AIDS data for 2004–2011 (data not
consistently reported by Monaco, Russian Federation, Sweden and Uzbekistan), the overall
1 For the purpose of presenting surveillance data, Member States are grouped as follows:
• West, 23 countries: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy,
Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.
• Centre, 15 countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Hungary, the former
Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey.
• East, 15 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Estonia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Republic of
Moldova, Russian Federation, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan.
2


number of reported AIDS diagnoses declined from 12 940 cases (1.9 per 100 000) to 10 923
cases (1.5 per 100 000).
In the East, all countries have reported an increase in the number of AIDS diagnoses in 2011
compared to 2004, except Turkmenistan (zero cases reported over 2004–2011) and
Lithuania. A more than fivefold increase in the number of AIDS diagnoses between 2004 and
2011 was observed in Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Moldova, and a more than
threefold increase in Armenia, Georgia, and Kazakhstan over the same period.
The number of diagnosed and reported AIDS cases has continued to decline in the West of
the WHO European Region.
PROGRESS IN THE HEALTH SECTOR RESPONSE
HIV treatment
 By the end of 2011, the number of people on antiretroviral treatment (ART) in low- and
middle-income countries worldwide had reached 8 million people, a 20-fold increase in
since 2003.
 This represents 54% coverage of those in need of ART worldwide. For the first time, a
majority of people eligible for treatment in low- and middle-income countries were receiving
it.
 Coverage is much lower among children (28%).
 Coverage is higher among women (68%) than men (47%) globally.
 In eastern Europe and central Asia, only 25% of those in need of antiretroviral treatment
were receiving it in 2011 (130 000 out of estimated 510 000 people in need).
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
 Progress in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) has driven the recent
global commitment, and global plan agreed at the UN High-Level Meeting in June 2011, to
eliminate new HIV infections among children by 2015.
 The global plan aims to increase coverage of antiretroviral use for PMTCT to 90% by 2015.
 In low- and middle-income countries, coverage of effective antiretroviral regimens for
preventing mother-to-child transmission reached 57% [range: 51-64%] in 2011.
Knowledge of HIV status
 Half of the HIV cases reported in Europe in 2011 with information on CD4 cell counts had a
low CD4 cell count (<350/ml) at time of HIV diagnosis, indicative of late diagnosis.
Services for key populations
 Key populations, including people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, sex
workers, prisoners and transgender people, often have the highest prevalence rates in both
generalized and concentrated epidemics, but continue to be greatly underserved by current
HIV programmes.
European Action Plan for HIV/AIDS 2012–2015



The European Action Plan for HIV/AIDS 2012–2015 puts into action the UNAIDS strategy for
2011–2015 and the WHO global health sector strategy on HIV/AIDS for 2011–2015.
The Action Plan was endorsed by 53 European Member States at the WHO Regional
Committee for Europe in September 2011 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The Action Plan calls for urgent action by the WHO Regional Office for Europe, the Member
States and other stakeholders to address the growing HIV epidemic in the Region.
3








The vision for the European Region is zero new HIV infections, zero AIDS-related deaths
and zero discrimination in a world in which people living with HIV are able to live long,
healthy lives.
The goals for the European Region are, by 2015: to immediately halt and reverse the spread
of HIV in Europe; to achieve universal access to comprehensive HIV prevention, treatment,
care and support; and to contribute to the attainment of Millennium Development Goal 6
and other health-related Millennium Development Goals (3, 4, 5 and 8).
The Action Plan proposes areas of intervention within the framework established by the
UNAIDS strategy for 2011–2015 and the WHO global health sector strategy on HIV/AIDS for
2011–2015.
The Action Plan is anchored in the guiding principles of: equity in health; community
participation; human rights; evidence-informed policies and ethical public health
approaches.
The Action Plan is based on the four strategic directions of the WHO global strategy, with
proposals for implementation that reflect the European context and address the priorities of
the Region: 1.Optimizing HIV prevention, diagnosis, treatment, care and support outcomes;
2. Leveraging broader health outcomes through HIV response; 3. Building strong and
sustainable health systems; 4. Reducing vulnerability and the structural barriers to accessing
services.
The primary audience for the European Action Plan for HIV/AIDS 2012–2015 is the national
authorities in the WHO European Region responsible for HIV diagnosis, prevention,
treatment, care and support, including health ministries and other government bodies
responsible for health.
The Action Plan is also intended for national authorities and ministries other than those
directly responsible for health, including finance, education, social welfare, child protection,
transportation, infrastructure, criminal justice, labour, immigration, development, defence,
and foreign affairs, as well as associations, professional bodies, researchers, academics, civil
society, advocacy groups, trade unions, the private sector, and international and global
partners, including bilateral and multilateral donors.
For more information on WHO/Europe HIV/AIDS, STIs and viral hepatitis programme, please
visit, www.euro.who.int/aids
Sources:
UNAIDS. Global report: UNAIDS report on the global AIDS epidemic 2012. Geneva, Joint United
Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 2012 (www.unaids.org, accessed 30 November 2012).
ECDC, WHO Regional Office for Europe. HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2011. Stockholm, European
Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2012 (http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/healthtopics/communicable-diseases/hivaids/publications/2012/hivaids-surveillance-in-europe-2011,
accessed 30 November 2012).
European Action Plan for HIV/AIDS 2012–2015. Copenhagen, WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2011
(http://www.euro.who.int/en/what-we-do/health-topics/communicablediseases/hivaids/publications/2011/european-action-plan-for-hivaids-20122015, accessed 30
November 2012).
4
Unified Interagency Information-statistics System of the Federal Statistics Agency of the Russian
Federation. ‘Number of registered patients newly diagnosed with HIV’. Moscow, 2012
(http://www.fedstat.ru/indicator/data.do?id=41719&referrerType=0&referrerId=946905 last
accessed 19 November 2012).
5