EU far off 2030 infectious disease goals, ECDC warns

The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has expressed significant concern regarding the attainment of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets for the elimination of HIV, tuberculosis, hepatitis B and C, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) within the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). This assessment is based on the initial monitoring report of the SDGs recently issued by the EU agency. Pamela Rendi-Wagner, the agency’s director, has advocated for the implementation of extensive prevention strategies, encompassing HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), hepatitis B vaccination, and harm reduction services for individuals who inject drugs, in addition to the promotion of condom utilization, to optimize the effectiveness of European health systems over the next five years. Further essential measures include enhancing the quality and completeness of surveillance and monitoring data about communicable diseases, gathering specific data for the populations most affected, reinforcing vaccination initiatives and patient adherence to treatment regimens, and diminishing mortality rates from preventable diseases. STIs, in particular, pose a considerable challenge for the forthcoming five-year period. The incidence of syphilis and gonorrhoea is rising across the EU/EEA, reaching levels unprecedented since the commencement of ECDC surveillance in 2009. Data concerning STI testing and treatment coverage are largely absent, complicating the overall assessment.