Včasná diagnostika a včasné léčení: klíč k redukci rozšiřování HIV

 After 25 years of fighting against AIDs, the rate of new HIV diagnosis nearly doubled during the period 1998 – 2005 in Western Europe. Going beyond the well-identified risk groups, the rate of infections raises through heterosexual intercourse and diagnosis usually arrives too late, wasting a precious time to offer optimal treatment and contributing disproportionately to the spread of the disease, as the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has recognised.

The ECDC technical report “HIV-Infection in Europe: 25 years into the Pandemic”, prepared as background information for conference organised by the German Presidency of the EU in Bremen on 12-13 March ("Responsibility and Partnership - Together against HIV/Aids"), states that the current spread of infections calls for increased prevention and earlier treatment to contain the disease.

Today, the proportion of undiagnosed HIV infections is estimated to be as high as 30%(1). Among 8916 individuals who were diagnosed with AIDS in Western Europe in 2002(2), 55% discovered their seropositivity only 6 months or less before developing AIDS, being therefore unable to benefit from clinical care to reduce morbidity and mortality, and to engage in behaviours that reduce risk for HIV transmission.

Apart from the well-defined risk groups (young people, immigrants, injecting drugs users, homosexuals, etc.), there is still a relative lack of progress in preventing sexual transmission of HIV through heterosexual contact: more than half (56%) of new infections were acquired during heterosexual intercourse in 2005(3). In addition, as treatment becomes more widespread, transmission of HIV strains resistant to antiretroviral drugs might increase.

In the US, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised the recommendations for HIV testing. The new objectives are to increase HIV screening of patients, including pregnant women, in healthcare settings; foster earlier detection of HIV infection; and identify and counsel persons with unrecognised HIV infection among others.

Based on the above observations, EDMA believes that it should be possible and beneficial to identify the main objectives of a strategy to increase (earlier) detection of HIV infected persons in Europe. Key elements for such a EU-wide strategy would be:

• Reiterate the recommendations for targeted testing on the basis of risk behaviours, preconception care and injecting drug users.
• Improve access to routine HIV testing of migrants from countries with generalized HIV epidemic, since most of these HIV infections have been demonstrated to be acquired in their country of origin and diagnosed only when already symptomatic or during pregnancy.
• Identify and introduce routine targeted testing of new subgroups of high risk individuals, like young people with multiple sex partners or people with other infectious diseases like Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Tuberculosis, and hepatitis C.

The AIDs pandemic prophesied by the ECDC will meet no barriers in Europe. HIV can be detected by reliable, inexpensive, and non-invasive screening tests..

Background:
EDMA, the European Diagnostic Manufacturers Association represents National Associations and major companies engaged in the research, development, manufacture or distribution of In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) medical devices in Europe. Through its affiliated National Associations, EDMA represents in total more than 550 companies (or over 1000 legal entities) across Europe. The mission of EDMA is to raise awareness of the importance, usefulness and added-value that diagnostic information can provide to healthcare. For this purpose, EDMA cooperates with European institutions, patients groups, trade associations, health professionals and academia to support an appropriate regulatory system, to work towards a realistic economic environment for healthcare in Europe and to be an effective voice in globalisation.

 For more information, please visit EDMA website or contact:
Gloria Galán, EDMA Communications & Public Affairs Manager (Tel. +32 2 777 02 77)