As the EU embarks on a new mandate – the last full cycle before the 2030 deadline, it has a unique opportunity to reinvigorate political leadership for an HIV response. This urgency for action has been gathering momentum under calls for a new EU HIV Action Plan. A recent multi-stakeholder consensus statement is the first stepping stone toward building this vision. In it, national governments, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNAIDS, civil society and industry outline a list of persistent unmet needs and gaps in the EU’s HIV response. This could serve as a roadmap for action for the European Commission’s new mandate. As EU institutions set their priorities for the new political cycle, immediate policy action and concrete proposals are needed. These include:
- strengthening primary prevention programs and simplifying access to prevention methods;
- increasing funding at local and regional levels;
- empowering community-based and -led organizations as key drivers of the HIV response; and
- creating an environment that supports innovative solutions, enabling them to reach their full potential in ending the HIV epidemic.
Long-acting therapies – a game changer
Experts across the HIV stakeholder community recognize that, to end the HIV epidemic, the new wave of innovations is key, particularly in reaching communities that are disproportionately impacted by HIV. Long-acting medicines are both the present and the future, and they are here, paving the way for an HIV-free generation. These options are no longer a theoretical possibility, being tested in the lab or in clinical trials. They are real, tangible solutions and are already setting a new standard of care for HIV – one that puts health-related quality of life and person-partnered care first.
Long-acting therapies are no longer a theoretical possibility; they are real, tangible solutions that are already setting a new standard of care for HIV – one that puts health-related quality of life first.
While daily oral pills for HIV prevention and antiretroviral treatments are highly effective, some people find it difficult or undesirable to take pills every day, impacting both their health outcomes and overall wellbeing.
Daily oral pills may still be the preferred and the most appropriate choice for some, but by offering extended dosing intervals and simplified regimens, long-acting medicines provide a highly effective alternative in line with people’s preferences and needs. In expanding choice, long-acting therapies will ultimately enhance adherence rates1 and help reduce the stigma that some users may face through daily pill intake2.
Surveys already show a high preference for long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) options among key populations. Findings from a study running across 21 European countries – the PROTECT study – revealed that over 80%3 of respondents, in particular men who have sex with men (MSM) and transgender women, showed high interest and intention to use long-acting PrEP. At the same time, long-acting injectables are a promising option to expand choice and access to and uptake of PrEP among groups that still face significant unmet prevention needs and have experienced rising infection rates in the past years, such as cisgender heterosexuals4.