Events
We believe that progress in HIV policy, research and care depends on collaboration and shared knowledge. Our events bring together policymakers, researchers, clinicians, patient advocates, and industry leaders to exchange insights, showcase evidence, and drive concrete action at the European level.
From high-level policy discussions to expert workshops, each event is designed to advance better long-term health outcomes and quality of life for people living with HIV. Explore our upcoming and past events to see how we are shaping the HIV policy agenda across Europe.
Upcoming Events
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Upcoming Events *
Launch of policy recommendations to improve the quality of life of people living with HIV in Romania
English: The recommendations presented at this event came from scientific research on 1,050 people living with HIV in partnership with the HIV care network.
The event was organised in collaboration with Romania’s National Institute for Communicable Diseases and the National Society for Infectious Diseases and HIV/AIDS.
Română: Recomandările prezentate la acest eveniment au provenit din cercetări științifice efectuate pe 1.050 de persoane care trăiesc cu HIV, în parteneriat cu rețeaua de îngrijire HIV.
Evenimentul a fost organizat în colaborare cu Institutul Național de Boli Transmisibile din România și Societatea Națională de Boli Infecțioase și HIV/SIDA.
Launch of policy asks to enhance long-term health and wellbeing among people living with HIV
Enhancing long-term health and wellbeing among people living with HIV
Launch of HIV Outcomes Policy Asks
Hosted under the auspices of the Czech EU Presidency
The HIV Outcomes initiative organised a meeting on World AIDS Day 2022 to raise awareness of measures to improve wellbeing for people living with HIV. It also launched the HIV Outcomes Policy Asks and Recommendations, the result of a year-long collaboration between over 60 experts and organisations with the ambition to guide policy actions at EU and Member State level.
HIV is a long-term condition and thanks to the widespread availability of antiretroviral therapy, life expectancy among people living with HIV is approaching that of the general population. Yet this does not always mean years spent in good health. People living with HIV are at higher risk of developing mental health conditions and continue to experience stigma and discrimination within health systems.
Key takeaways
MEP Frederique Ries (Renew Europe, Belgium) championed the work of HIV Outcomes and the need to focus on health-related quality of life of people with HIV. She warmly welcomed the new report by the ECDC, commissioned by the European Parliament committee responsible for public health, and emphasized the need to give voice to those living with the condition.
The European Commissioner for Health, Stella Kyriakides conveyed her support for the work of HIV Outcomes, stating that it had a ‘simple but powerful vision’: ‘that all people living with HIV should enjoy the highest possible quality of life’. It is not enough, Kyriakides said, that people with HIV are able to live long lives, they should also live healthy and fulfilling lives. The HIV Outcomes policy asks are ‘an important step’ towards this ‘shared vision’. Kyriakides also confirmed that the new EU Expert Group on Public Health will cover chronic and communicable diseases including HIV.
Stephan Vernhes, a Steering Group member of HIV Outcomes and Coordinator of the European Platform AIDES, provided a personal experience of living with HIV, highlighting the impact of stigma on mental health and psychological wellbeing. A minute’s silence was then observed to remember all those that have died from AIDS.
The HIV Outcomes ‘Policy Asks‘ were then launched and presented by HIV Outcomes co-chairs and members, highlighting the need for actions by HIV clinics/care providers, regional and national health authorities, and the EU. Prof Jane Anderson focused on prevention, treatment and management of co-morbidities; Prof Giovanni Guaraldi outlined the spoke about the challenges associated with ageing with HIV, Prof Jeffrey Lazarus focused on the need to measure and monitor health-related quality of life and EATG’s Mario Cascio and Anton Basenko reflected on the challenges of combatting stigma and discrimination.
Vytenis Andriukaitis, HIV Outcomes Ambassador and WHO Special Envoy for Europe commended HIV Outcomes for the work that it is doing and emphasised how much he had learned from the event. He called for sharing of best practices among clinicians and community members, in particular to improve integrated, holistic care for people with HIV.
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Stella Kyriakides, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety.
Hosting MEPs Frédérique Ries (Renew Europe Vice-President, Belgium), Sara Cerdas (Socialists & Democrats, Portugal) and Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP, Finland).
Dr Vytenis Andriukaitis, HIV Outcomes Ambassador and WHO Special Envoy for Europe.
Dr Anastasia Pharris, Principal Expert for Infectious Diseases and group leader on STIs, blood- borne viruses and TB, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Baroness Barker, House of Lords Member and All Party Parliamentary Group HIV and AIDS Co-Chair, UK.
Dr Anca Streinu Cercel, PhD Senior Lecturer at Carol Davila Medicine and Pharmacy University, Clinician at National Institute for Communicable Diseases “Prof Dr Matei Bals”, Romania.
Prof Giovanni Guaraldi, Infectious diseases Associate Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy.
Prof Jane Anderson, HIV Outcomes Co-Chair & Consultant Physician at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UK.
Prof Jeffrey Lazarus, HIV Outcomes Co-Chair & Head of Health Systems Research Group ISGlobal at Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, Spain.
Mario Cascio, HIV Outcomes Steering Group Member & EATG Quality of Life Programme Chair.
Stéphan Vernhes, HIV Outcomes Steering Group Member & Coordinator European Platform AIDES.
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10 min | Welcome remarks
MEP Frédérique Ries, Renew Europe Vice-President, Belgium
5 min | Setting the scene
Stéphan Vernhes, HIV Outcomes Steering Group Member & Coordinator European Platform AIDES
5 min | Rethinking healthcare systems to focus on patient and not just the disease
Stella Kyriakides, EU Health Commissioner10 min | Health-Related Quality of Life in people living with HIV – current situation and COVID-19 impact
Dr Anastasia Pharris, Principal Expert Infectious Diseases (ECDC)45 min | Launch of HIV Outcomes Policy Asks
Achieving zero stigma and discrimination in healthcare settingsMario Cascio, HIV Outcomes Steering Group Member & EATG Quality of Life Programme Chair
Anton Basenko, EATG Programme Manager
Beyond viral suppression: the impact of mental health and other comorbidities
Prof Jane Anderson, HIV Outcomes Co-Chair & Consultant Physician at Homerton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, UKAgeing with HIV
Prof Giovanni Guaraldi, HIV Outcomes General Member & Infectious diseases Associate Professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy’What gets measured gets done’ – monitoring PROMs and HRQoL
Prof Jeffrey Lazarus, HIV Outcomes Co-Chair & Head of Health Systems Research Group ISGlobal at Hospital Clinic, University of Barcelona, SpainQ&A
10 min | What role for European action on addressing HIV outcomes beyond viral suppression?
Dr Vytenis Andriukaitis, HIV Outcomes Ambassador and WHO Special Envoy for Europe20 min | National perspectives: UK and Romania
Baroness Barker, House of Lords Member and All Party Parliamentary Group HIV and AIDS Co-Chair, UK
Dr Anca Streinu Cercel, PhD Senior Lecturer at Carol Davila Medicine and Pharmacy University, Clinician at National Institute for Communicable Diseases “Prof Dr Matei Bals”, Romania
15 min | Closing remarks and next steps
MEP Sara Cerdas, S&D, Portugal
MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen, EPP, Finland
Learning from country experiences in chronic care to improve HRQoL
The event marked the launch of a “virtual good practice clinic” on chronic HIV care with examples shared from across Member States. Participants discussed European and international policy to improve long-term health and well-being for people living with HIV.
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09.00 | Welcome and introduction
MEP co-host: Karin Kadenbach (S&D, Austria)
HIV Outcomes Co-President: Marc Danzon, former Director, WHO Regional Office for Europe
HIV Outcomes Steering Group Co-Chair: Jeffrey Lazarus, Associate Professor, ISGlobal
09.10 | Good practices in long-term chronic care for people living with HIV
Learning from country experiences and launch of “virtual good practice clinic”
Peter Reiss, Immediate Past President, European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) and Professor of Medicine, Academic Medical Centre, University of Amsterdam
HIV Outcomes Italy: Mario Cascio, Vice-Chair, European AIDS Treatment Group and HIV Outcomes Italy Steering Group Member and Giovanni Guaraldi, Head of the Modena HIV Metabolic Clinic, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
HIV Outcomes Sweden: Peter Månehall, Public advocate, HIV Sweden and Anders Sönnerborg, Professor in clinical virology and infectious diseases, Karolinska Institutet
Ellen Nolte, Professor of Health Services and Systems Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Moderated by Jane Anderson, HIV Outcomes Steering Group Co-Chair and Consultant Physician, Homerton University Hospital, London
Followed by a panel discussion
10.10 | Future of EU action on HIV
Vytenis Andriukaitis, European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety (via video)
10.20 | HIV care “beyond viral suppression”
Michel Kazatchkine, Special Advisor to Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS for Eastern Europe and Central Asia, and Chair, AFEW International Cooperating internationally to address long-term health of people living with HIV
Elena Vovc, Technical Officer, Joint TB, HIV and viral hepatitis programme, WHO Europe Moderated by John Bowis, former MEP and UK Health Minister and HIV Outcomes Co-President
Followed by a panel discussion
10.50 | Concluding remarks and next steps
MEP co-host: Christofer Fjellner (EPP, Sweden)
HIV Outcomes Steering Group Co-Chair: Nikos Dedes, Chair, European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG
Launch of our policy recommendations
The nature of the HIV epidemic has changed. As a result of advances in antiretroviral therapy (ART), HIV need no longer be a fatal disease. For people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are diagnosed early and receive effective ART to suppress viral replication, HIV has become a chronic condition with lifespans approaching those of the general population. However, a long life expectancy is not the same as living in good health and with good quality of life.
During this launch event at the European parliament, participants highlighted that a new perspective is required that recognises HIV to be a long-term condition, but one which poses very specific health and well-being challenges. Participants discusssed challenges including
an increased risk of developing a range of other health conditions (comorbidities)
reduced quality of life due to the impact of long-term treatment, drug side effects, and multiple comorbidities
stigma and discrimination, both within the health system and outside of it, which can in turn result in mental health comorbidity, social isolation and loneliness
Inaugural meeting of HIV Outcomes
Policy-makers and stakeholders from across Europe assembled in Brussels for the inaugural meeting of HIV Outcomes: Beyond Viral Suppression. We discussed our mission to ensure that health systems respond better to the many challenges faced by people living with HIV so that they can live long, active and healthy lives.
Speakers highlighted for EU policymakers that improving outcomes can lead to health system efficiencies and economic benefits such as reducing future demand for health services and contributing to social cohesion.
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9.00-9.30am | Registration and coffee
9.30-9.45am | Welcome and introduction
Chair, John Bowis, OBE
Nikos Dedes, “Beyond viral suppression” Steering Group Co-Chair (Board Member, European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG))
9.45-11.00am | The need for a new paradigm – “Beyond viral suppression”
Towards patient-centred health and social care systems for PLHIV
Jackie Morton, Chair of European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)
What kind of health services delivery reconfiguration is needed to improve outcomes for PLHIV?
Prof. Jane Anderson, “Beyond viral suppression” Steering Group Co-Chair (Homerton University Hospital)
Prof. Stéphane De Wit, Saint-Pierre Hospital Clinic Brussels
HIV, ageing, and co-morbidities: the challenges ahead
Leen Meulenbergs, WHO Representative to the EU
Call to action: “Beyond viral suppression: Improving outcomes for people living with HIV”
Nikos Dedes, “Beyond viral suppression” Steering Group Co-Chair (Board Member, EATG)
Moderated by Chair, John Bowis
11.00-11.15am | Coffee
11.15-11.30am | Taking action to deliver on policy goals: connecting national, regional and local
Ricardo Baptista Leite MP, Portugal
11.30am-12.40pm | Health system performance and HIV: improving outcomes, access and efficiency
The EU agenda on health system performance
Sylvain Giraud, Head of Unit, DG SANTE B1 – Health Systems, European Commission
Interim report: “Beyond viral suppression: Improving outcomes and health system innovation for PLHIV”
Prof. Jeffrey Lazarus, “Beyond viral suppression” Steering Group Co-Chair (IS Global)
Discussants
Anna-Liisa Pääsukene, Adviser, Estonian Ministry of Social Affairs
Bertrand Audoin, Vice-President, International Association of Providers of AIDS Care (IAPAC)
Moderated by Chair, John Bowis
12.40-1.00pm | Conclusions and next steps
MEP Eva Kaili (Greece, Socialists & Democrats)
Steering Group Co-Chairs: Nikos Dedes, Jane Anderson, Jeffrey Lazarus
1.00-2.00pm | Lunch
Past Events
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Past Events *
Event highlights over the years
2021
HIV 40 years on: Time to focus now on health-related quality of life!
01 December
HRQoL lessons-learned from Covid-19 at IAS
20 July
Working Group on EU4Health funding opportunities for HIV projects
17 June
Roundtable on the HRQoL of people living with HIV in the UK
16 June
Workshop with UNAIDS: how to define HRQoL
24 February
