HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2011

HIV infection is of major public health importance in Europe. In 2011, 53 974 HIV diagnoses were reported by 50 of the 53 countries in the WHO European Region, of which 28 038 were reported by the countries in the European Union and European Economic Area (EU/EEA). No data were received from Liechtenstein, Monaco, Russia or Uzbekistan. The surveillance results suggest that HIV transmission continues in many countries, with an overall rate of 7.6 diagnoses per 100 000 population for the WHO European Region and 5.7 in the EU/EEA. The rates are highest in the East of the Region (Table 1.1). The main transmission mode varies by geographical area, illustrating the wide diversity in the epidemiology of HIV in Europe; heterosexual transmission is the main mode of transmission in the entire WHO European Region but sexual transmission between men is the most common mode in the EU/EEA.

The number of AIDS cases has continued to decline in many countries, although the number has increased in several countries in the East.