Under- and late diagnosis of HIV is holding back progress to end AIDS in the European Region

The report shows that since the beginning of the epidemic in the early 1980s, over 2.6 million people have been diagnosed with HIV in the WHO European Region, including more than 650 000 in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA). Despite significant progress made since then, nearly 1 in 3 people living with HIV in the Region still do not know their HIV status. 

Key findings

• Nearly 113 000 HIV diagnoses were reported in 47 out of 53 countries of the WHO European Region in 2023, an increase of 2.4% compared to the previous year. 
• 21 of the 47 reporting countries saw an increase in HIV diagnoses in 2023 compared to 2022, and several countries reported their highest number of HIV diagnoses in a single year over the past decade. This increase can partly be explained by countries’ increased testing efforts, new testing policies and a rebound in HIV testing and case detection since the COVID-19 pandemic.
• While overall HIV diagnoses in the EU/EEA have shown a general decline in the last 10 years, with 24 731 cases reported across all 30 countries in 2023, a different trend appears when examining newly diagnosed cases (excluding previously known HIV diagnoses). There, the EU/EEA rate of new HIV diagnoses rose by nearly 12% from 2022 to 2023, likely as a result of increased HIV testing and increased diagnoses in migrant populations.
• Across the WHO European Region, including EU/EEA countries, more than half (52% for the total WHO European Region, 53% for the EU/EEA) of HIV diagnoses are made late, leading to higher morbidity and an increased risk of AIDS-related death. 

The key findings demonstrate the critical need for prevention, early testing, diagnosis and access to treatment to improve people’s health outcomes and reduce transmission, as well as the urgent need to reduce stigma around HIV.  

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