EU Agency: Targets in the fight against HIV and Hepatitis missed
Stockholm (dpa) – Hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis (TB), and sexually transmitted infections such as syphilis and gonorrhea continue to pose major challenges for health systems in Europe. This is one of the main statements of a new report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Although these diseases are preventable, they lead to numerous cases of illness and nearly 57,000 deaths annually in the EU and the European Economic Area (EEA).
European countries may miss targets
As one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, the United Nations (UN) aims for “a healthy life for all people” by 2030 – and as sub-goals, the elimination of AIDS and TB epidemics as well as the fight against viral hepatitis. The EU health agency based in Stockholm has now investigated to what extent European countries have achieved their interim targets set for 2025 on the way there.
The new ECDC report shows: Most countries are either at risk of not reaching the targets by 2030 or do not have sufficient data to measure their progress. ECDC Director Pamela Rendi-Wagner said: “These diseases are preventable, as are the burdens they place on healthcare, patients, and their families. We have five years to act; we must use them.”
Number of reported gonorrhea cases highest since 2009
The estimated incidence of HIV and TB has decreased during the study period according to the ECDC report, but remains above the target value for 2025. There are no incidence figures for viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections; however, the number of diagnoses of gonorrhea, syphilis, and acute hepatitis B has increased in many EU and EEA countries. The increase in newly reported gonorrhea cases was the most significant – their number is the highest since 2009. (April 23)
