Lithuania: Migrants influence the dynamics of HIV infection
HIV in Lithuania: migrants from Ukraine and Eastern Europe are changing the epidemiological picture.
More than a third of new HIV cases in Lithuania are from foreigners. Most of them are from Ukraine and other countries of Eastern Europe. These statistics reflect not only the migration processes caused by war and economic difficulties, but also indicate the continuing problem of the spread of HIV in the region, which Europe considered almost under control.
According to the National Center for Public Health of Lithuania, the country has seen an increase in the incidence of HIV since 2022. In the center, he is associated with the influx of infected foreign citizens.
Statistics for 2024 indicate that almost 90% of infected foreigners came to Lithuania from Eastern Europe - Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova.
Angela Moiseenko, head of the Chernihiv branch of the charitable organization "All-Ukrainian Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS", told LRT.lt about how the situation with HIV is developing, and how the system of detection and treatment of infection works in the conditions of military conflict.
"Ukraine occupies one of the leading places in the spread of HIV in Eastern Europe. More only in Russia and Kazakhstan," she says.
Nevertheless, in recent years, systematic work has been built in Ukraine to combat the epidemic, especially in terms of identifying new cases. "Over the past 10 years, a lot of attention has been paid to this topic in Ukraine. We are actively engaged in HIV detection, because what we see is only the tip of the iceberg. The more tests are carried out, the better we know the real situation," Moiseenko explains.
The system covers both state institutions and initiatives supported by international partners. The country has the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which funds large-scale HIV testing and prevention programs. Too, both state and public organizations participate in this process.
"We actively use rapid tests that allow us to determine the presence or absence of antibodies within 20-30 minutes. Our organization has been working in the field of overcoming HIV infection for 20 years, and we are also actively engaged in identifying, referring for treatment and accompanying people," the expert says.
The health care system in Ukraine is built on a three-level model: primary care - family doctors, secondary - polyclinics and hospitals, as well as tertiary - specialized institutions. At the second level, there is a network of "trust offices" that provide HIV treatment services.
"There are such offices in almost all second-level hospitals. Funding goes through the National Health Service of Ukraine, which pays for medical services under the so-called packages. For example, an HIV test is included in 11 medical care packages at once," Moiseenko explains.
Nevertheless, the proportion of foreigners among new cases is gradually decreasing:
- in 2022 they were 47%;
- in 2023 - 37%;
- in 2024 - 34%;
For comparison, the EU average is about 50%.
In 2024, among registered foreign citizens with HIV, 86.8% came from Eastern European countries - Ukraine, Belarus, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Moldova. This trend has been maintained since 2022.
More than 80% of these patients receive antiretroviral therapy, which indicates an understanding of the importance of treatment and prevention.
Of the 68 foreign citizens identified with HIV in 2024, 59% are men and 41% are women. The main ways of infection:
- 46% - heterosexual contacts;
- 22% - homosexual contacts;
- 4% - injecting drugs;
- 31% - unknown ways;
- 3% - perinatal (from mother at birth).
The age of 37% of infected foreigners is from 40 to 49 years old, and 24% are from 30 to 39.
Recommendations for HIV testing, approved by the order of the Minister of Health of Lithuania. They provide in which cases - in certain epidemiological or clinical conditions - it is recommended to conduct HIV testing. The doctor, having received information from the patient and evaluated it, should offer to conduct testing.
