Preliminary estimate: 1900 new HIV infections in Germany
According to preliminary results from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), an estimated 1900 people in Germany were infected with HIV last year. The RKI announced on Thursday that the status is not yet final because data is still missing. For 2021, the experts estimate the number of new HIV infections at 1800.
According to the RKI, the number of new infections among men who have sex with men (MSM) has initially fallen significantly since 2007. In the last three years, it has remained relatively stable and currently stands at around 1000. The report states that there has been no decline in the number of new HIV infections among heterosexuals and people who use intravenous drugs. On the contrary: the figures have actually risen slightly in both groups. According to the report, this is partly due to the fact that heterosexuals who are living with HIV or have an increased risk of infection are less concentrated in large cities than MSM. Outside of the big cities, however, the availability of tests is poorer.
The RKI explains the increase in drug users as follows: More and more users are taking drugs that do not belong to the opiate group. According to the RKI, there is no substitution therapy for these drugs. As a result, users have less contact with medical services and are tested less for HIV. The consequence: "HIV infections are detected later and treated later, creating more opportunities for local infection clusters, which have been increasingly observed in recent years."
The World Health Organization (WHO) has set itself the goal of ending HIV and AIDS by 2030, according to the report. According to the RKI, achieving this is "difficult to imagine". "Eliminating HIV from the human population is completely unrealistic as long as a highly effective vaccine is not available - and there is no such vaccine in sight." Stigmatized, criminalized and marginalized groups, which are particularly frequently affected by HIV, are often not reached by testing and treatment services. In some cases, there are simply no services available. In Germany, irregular migrants and people without health insurance are affected by this.
In an international comparison, however, Germany is still doing well. According to the RKI, the number of new infections is rising in other countries - even sharply in Eastern Europe, especially in Russia. In parts of Eastern Europe, an epidemic with heterosexual contacts is developing. According to the RKI, this is due to the lack of effective prevention work among drug users.
The advancements in HIV/AIDS research and treatment, primarily driven by science, have significantly improved the health outcomes of many infected individuals. However, despite these advances, the World Health Organization's goal to end HIV and AIDS by 2030 remains challenging due to the lack of a highly effective vaccine and the under-served populations, such as irregular migrants and the uninsured in Germany. Furthermore, diseases like HIV continue to pose threats to various demographics, such as drug users whose HIV infections are often detected later due to limited access to testing and medical services.
Source: www.dpa.com
