Policy recommendations for vulnerable populations

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS and other blood-borne infectious diseases is known to be high in vulnerable populations. Concerned about a resurgent HIV epidemic concentrated among key populations in the European Union (EU) and European Free Trade Area countries (EFTA).

Service providers and community leaders from across Europe decided to develop policy recommendations to inform policy making in Europe, both at national level and at EU level, with a view to reducing existing HIV/AIDS-related health inequalities.

The policy recommendations focus on the HIV epidemiology affecting the four risk groups (IDUs, migrants, sex workers and MSM), the adequacy of current policies and programmes, and the implications and recommendations for policy makers at the national and EU levels.

EATG created 10 policy recommendations within the context of the Correlation Network. The Correlation Network is a project funded by the European Commission, aiming to tackle health inequalities in Europe and to improve prevention, care and treatment services, targeting blood-borne infectious diseases (BBID), in particular Hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS among vulnerable and high risk populations (e.g. drug users and young people at risk).

The European Aids Treatment Group (EATG) led the activities of the Work Package on HIV/AIDS Policy Recommendations. The aim of the package was to analyse the vulnerability of four groups to HIV transmission (IDUs, migrants, sex workers and MSM); analyse existing policy interventions; and make recommendations for each group.

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