History

The HIV in Europe initiative is directed by an independent group of experts which has come together to work for optimal testing and earlier care for HIV in Europe.
 

HIV in Europe started off in Brussels in 2007 with a pan-European conference entitled “HIV in Europe 2007: Working together for optimal testing and earlier care". The conference gathered more than 300 key European stakeholders in HIV from the Europe WHO region, including advocates, clinicians and public health professionals. In November 2009, a Follow-Up meeting in Stockholm was held under the Swedish Presidency of the European Union.

Work

HIV in Europe makes room for sharing best practices, making commitments and taking action. We must increase our focus on reducing HIV infection rates by ensuring that people already infected with HIV are made aware of their status and symptoms, facilitating access to social support before and after testing, and ensuring appropriate and early access to care, including treatment.

In early 2009, 5 project proposals were approved by the Steering Committee.

Project 1: Definition of late presentation

Project 2: Estimation of the infected not yet diagnosed

Project 3: Indicator Disease-Guided Testing 

Project 4: The People Living with HIV Stigma Index

Funding

Unrestricted funding provided by Gilead Sciences, Merck, Tibotec, Pfizer, Schering-Plough, Abbott, Boehringer Ingelheim, Bristol-Myers Squibb, GlaxoSmithKline, ViiV Healthcare and the Swedish Research Council.
 
The initiative is governed by an independent Steering Committee. 

Coordinating Centre, Copenhagen HIV Programme, University of Copenhagen

Political Secretariat, EATG

Financial Administration, AIDS Fonds Netherlands. 

The conditions of funding the initiative are approved by the Steering Committee. Industry sponsors are invited to quarterly updates but do not participate in the Steering Committee.

Future

The HIV in Europe initiative will continue to work for a strengtened collaboration in order to improve the evidence base to address important issues around earlier testing and optimal care and to find ways to share knowledge and experiences across European borders.