In 2021, 781 Belgians were diagnosed with HIV, an increase of 4% on the previous year. Was that to be expected?
Van den Eynde: “Yes, yes. We are not surprised that last year there was a slight increase in the number of HIV diagnoses compared to the special year 2020. Then there was less sexual contact due to all the corona restrictions.
“Over a longer period, the figures are still declining. Yet we are concerned. With the current prevention measures we are going in the right direction, but we could achieve much more profit if we tried even harder.”
What else needs to be improved?
“We need to encourage people even faster to get tested for HIV. Sciensano’s calculations show that about 6% of people with HIV have not yet received a diagnosis. It’s important to get them tested as soon as possible and give them the right treatment, so they can’t infect others.
“Many people initially notice an HIV infection little, because it initially causes flu-like symptoms, for example. It is extremely important that we raise this issue in all places where there is an increased risk of HIV infection and that we offer testing there. But it also needs to be broader, for example by training general practitioners to raise HIV faster.
There are also medicines, so-called PrEP pills, which prevent people from contracting HIV. Even without using a condom. How about using it?
“We also see the numbers moving in the right direction in that area. But unfortunately there are still many hurdles to taking that drug. For example, to get your pills reimbursed, you must visit an HIV referral center. You also need to get screened, including whether or not you use a condom.
“Also, you have to come back regularly, and often during the day. It would be good if we organized it in a more accessible way. Doctors could play a bigger role in this.”
The UK recently set a firm target of no new HIV infections by 2030. Should our country do the same?
“The most important thing is that Belgium achieves the goals of the United Nations organization UNAids. They prescribe that by 2030, 95% of people with HIV will be diagnosed, 95% of them will be treated, and 95% of that group will no longer have a detectable viral load in their blood. That group can no longer transmit the virus. This is the goal that the government has also set in its new HIV plan, and we are well on our way to achieving it. At the same time, of course, we need to make sure we don’t lose sight of the people who are already in treatment.”
Internationally, the decline in the number of HIV cases appears to be stagnating, even as the numbers are rising in several parts of the world. How did it happen?
“Access to medicines and proper prevention are two key factors in reducing the epidemic. Unfortunately, this is still not the case in many countries. Furthermore, I am afraid that many people have found it even more difficult to buy the right drug for financial reasons after the corona crisis. And in countries where homosexuality is taboo – or even prohibited – it becomes even more difficult for many men to get diagnosed. So we’re not there yet.”
