Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant has said that it is estimated that there are some 122,000 people in Europe living with HIV who are currently unaware of their infection and keep on transmitting it to others.

Dr Sant, who was addressing the ‘HEPHIV 2017 CONFERENCE’, said countries need to live up to their commitment to end the AIDS epidemic as a public health threat by 2030 and emphasised that there is no room for complacency. Almost 30,000 newly diagnosed HIV infections have been reported by the European Union and European Economic Area countries in 2015, this is similar to the observed notification trends in the last decade. This high incidence of infection confirms the persistence of the HIV epidemic in our societies Dr Sant added.

The Maltese MEP said viral hepatitis could be emerging as a larger public health issue than HIV. It remains a silent epidemic. Many living with viral hepatitis do not know that they are infected, placing them at greater risk for severe, even fatal, complications from the disease. “We need to encourage increased testing especially among key populations who are more at risk. It is still not easy for individuals to take the test. There is fear about the result, especially among high risk groups. We have come a long way in the management of HIV. Effective treatment is now available. A positive result is no longer a death sentence but a path to lifelong treatment. In fact, today we talk of people living with HIV just as we talk of people living with diabetes. But still the stigma persists. Many believe that HIV infection is a self-inflicted shame. We need to fight that stigma.” Dr Sant added.

Dr Sant said the massive expansion of antiretroviral therapies has reduced the global number of people dying from HIV-related causes. Yet here too, prices remain very high, placing a burden on the health authorities as they strive towards universal treatment and an end to the epidemic. People who test positive need the full support of a professional team including psychological support and we need to develop enhanced tests which are fast, reliable and affordable Dr Sant concluded.

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