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European AIDS Treatment Group

EATG

For 2020-2025, EATG’s mission is: Equitable, speedy and sustainable access to: • effective treatments and holistic care for all people living with HIV • effective prevention and diagnosis for all communities affected by HIV EATG has 3 Programme Areas: -Quality of Life to engage, inform and empower all people living with and affected by HIV in improving their health-related quality of life. - Combination Prevention to engage, inform and empower all people living with and affected by HIV in increasing the usage of HIV, viral hepatitis, TB and STI combination prevention and diagnostic strategies in affected communities. -Partners in Science - To engage, inform and empower all people living with and affected by HIV in ensuring that ongoing research continues to yield best quality new HIV, viral hepatitis, TB and STI diagnostics, medicines, medical devices, and care, as well as progress towards cure.

Lobbying Activity

Meeting with Victor Negrescu (Member of the European Parliament) and FIPRA International SRL and UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health

10 Dec 2025 · World AIDS day event

Meeting with Adam Jarubas (Member of the European Parliament, Committee chair) and UNITE Parliamentarians Network for Global Health

8 May 2025 · A shared vision for ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic by 2030 - Call to Action for a new Action Plan on HIV/AIDS

Meeting with Catherine Amalric (Member of the European Parliament) and European Brain Council and

18 Mar 2024 · Renew Europe Workshop on Healthcare in Europe and the patient-centric approach

Meeting with Sara Cerdas (Member of the European Parliament)

3 Apr 2023 · Preparatory call for event on the European Testing Week for HIV and Viral Hepatitis

Response to A comprehensive approach to mental health

15 Feb 2023

According to EATG research findings and stakeholders consultations in 2020-2022, people living with HIV in WHO Europe experience a higher burden of mental health issues than the general population. In 2020 and 2021, EATG carried out a literature review, a community survey on mental health and HIV indicates that between 50.9% and 53.26% of respondents living with HIV self-reported at least 3 out of 5 symptoms commonly associated with depression, including suicidal ideation and thoughts of self-harm. While multiple factors contribute to these results, both HIV associated stigma and mental health associated stigma affect well-being and help seeking. Over half of the sample of people living with HIV reported feeling bad about their HIV status (51.5%) and consider that HIV had a negative impact in their ability to engage in relationships and social activities (55.9%) and in their sex life (56%). 63.4% consider HIV stigma to have had a negative role in their mental wellbeing. Additionally, 41.6% self-reported symptoms or diagnosis of mental health disorders prior to their HIV diagnosis, whereas 58.3% reported the same after the diagnosis and staff of organisations working in the field of HIV in the WHO European Region. Only 11.8% of respondents reported to have visited a private therapist and 6.5% a therapist through an HIV organization in the last 6 months, an extremely low proportion when compared to the percentage of persons reporting symptoms associated with mental health conditions, particularly depression (including suicidal ideation/thoughts of self-harm). Findings from EATGs research and stakeholders' consultations point to the following actions to be taken: Healthcare system and community organisations: Raise awareness about mental health issues among people living with/affected by HIV. Long-term conditions negatively impact on mental well-being, which in turn is further affected by the experience of stigma and discrimination - even more so in marginalised or criminalised populations. Ensure referral from HIV care services to mental health support services where mental health support services in HIV care is not possible. Enhance dialogue between HIV specialists and mental health specialists to increase knowledge of existing needs, services. Where needed mental health services could refer a person to HIV care services. Options responding to different levels of demand (including self-help groups; peer support; group support; MH professionals) and as well as empowerment of patients in self-management of their mental health issues, when possible; Update policies and guidelines to reflect diverse needs, including possibilities for de-medicalized services; Differentiate cases where support requires pharmacological interventions and those where it does not and; Support research to generate evidence, to define programmatic requirements and, Formally acknowledge trained peer work in the field of mental health. European and national level institutions, agencies and donors: Provide guidance on effective ways to implement MH support services as part of routine HIV care, including possible tools to be used for assessing mental health issues among people living with / affected by HIV. Develop region-specific guidance on how to adequately structure mental health support responses, including the multiple types of support services possible, and the levels at which they can be made available. Raise the profile of MH in general and engage in dialogue to include mental health within existing interventions and policies at the national and local levels, Provide funding for mental health responses, including for people living w/ affected by HIV. Research on the availability of mental health services, and their use, focusing on marginalised, criminalised, or underserved populations. Consider sub-regional specificities in MH and HIV agenda and further work implementation. https://bit.ly/40VC4BE
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Response to Proposal for a Regulation establishing a European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC)

29 Jan 2021

The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG) welcomes the strengthening of the mandate of European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). EATG wishes to emphasise the following points: 1. Beyond emerging pandemic preparedness and crisis management, ECDC should continue to play an important role in improving the HIV response at country and European level with surveillance, regular reporting on progress/gaps, guidance, as well as providing opinions on emerging issues/tools. A further strengthening of data collection and analysis would be welcome to help countries to target measures to address remaining gaps in prevention, treatment and care and thus achieve the elimination goals they have committed themselves to. 2. Community and civil society engagement in surveillance and monitoring should be explicitly mentioned in the regulation. NGOs and community groups can provide effective low threshold essential services that manage to reach particularly vulnerable groups that cannot (or struggle to) access the formal health systems. 3. As an organization working within the WHO Europe region, we would welcome a strengthening of the collaboration between ECDC and WHO as well as with other parts of the world. About EATG The European AIDS Treatment Group is a member network led by people living with or affected by HIV and associated infections (mainly hepatitis B and C, TB and STIs) and morbidities. We are a diverse group of people from across the WHO European region. We value our diversity in nationalities or countries of residence, languages, sexes, genders, sexual orientations, ages, beliefs and ethnicities. We emphasise a patient/person-centred approach to addressing the HIV-related needs of all key and vulnerable populations. We are committed to promoting 21st century medical and social science to make transformative change for best access for best lives. We participate at the European level in achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including universal health coverage (UHC), as well as ending AIDS, viral hepatitis, and TB as public health threats by 2030. We are committed to promoting the GIPA (Greater Involvement of People living with HIV/AIDS) principle throughout our work. For 2020-2025, EATG’s mission is: Equitable, speedy and sustainable access to: • effective treatments and holistic care for all people living with HIV (PLHIV) and associated infections and morbidities • effective prevention and diagnosis for all communities affected by HIV and associated infections and morbidities.
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Meeting with Vytenis Andriukaitis (Commissioner) and

22 Jul 2019 · Access to medicines

Meeting with Vytenis Andriukaitis (Commissioner) and

28 Nov 2016 · EU and NGOs action on HIV, TB and Hepatitis