Europe’s hidden HIV crisis – Half of all people living with HIV in Europe are diagnosed late, threatening to undermine the fight against AIDS

Europe is failing to test and treat HIV early, with over half (54%) of all diagnoses in 2024 being made too late for optimal treatment. New data released by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the WHO Regional Office for Europe warns that this critical testing failure, combined with a growing number of undiagnosed cases, is severely jeopardising the 2030 goal of ending AIDS as a public health threat.

According to the annual HIV/AIDS surveillance report, 105 922 HIV diagnoses were made in the WHO European Region in 2024, covering 53 countries in Europe and Central Asia. While overall reported numbers show a slight decrease compared to 2023, the available data suggest that testing and diagnosis gaps remain. The high proportion of late diagnoses means that many people are not accessing life-saving antiretroviral treatment and healthcare early enough, which increases the risk of developing AIDS, the risk of death and onward HIV transmission.

Read the full press release here.

Access the latest HIV surveillance report in Europe here.

Access the latest progress reports here:

• Continuum of HIV care: Monitoring the implementation of the Dublin Declaration on partnership to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia: 2025 progress report (2024 data)
• Pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV prevention in Europe and Central Asia: Monitoring the implementation of the Dublin Declaration on partnership to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia: 2025 progress report (2024 data)
• Evidence Brief: Progress towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals related to HIV in the European Union and European Economic Area – Monitoring implementation of the Dublin Declaration on partnership to fight HIV/AIDS in Europe and Central Asia

ECDC World AIDS Day 2025 page