Measures to fight stigma against HIV

Key points

The EESC:

• welcomes the Spanish Presidency's initiative of setting the goal to eliminate HIV related stigma and discrimination in Europe by 2030;
• shares the need for a high-level declaration from the European institutions, to be presented to the European Parliament on 1 December 2023, and undertakes to support it and take part in it at every possible level, way and forum;
• considers that, in order to overcome stigma, discrimination and stereotypes, it essential to promote awareness-raising, training and information actions, especially in schools, involving organised civil society, youth and student organisations;
• stresses the need for targeted information and institutionally implemented prevention programmes to reach key population groups, so that specific services can make contact with them proactively, possibly through non-governmental, community-based associations;
• stresses the importance for host countries to ensure continuity and free HIV testing and treatment for Ukrainian refugees, improving the chances to get tested regardless of residency status;
• calls for a more ambitious new target for all countries to be achieved by 2030, improving coverage levels to as high as 95% for testing, treatment and virological suppression;
• calls for new and innovative strategies to improve early diagnosis and make more people aware of their infection by expanding diversified and user-friendly approaches to more widely available HIV testing.