HIV Outcomes organises a Working Group Session on EU4Health Funding Opportunities for HIV Projects Beyond Viral Suppression

On Thursday 17 June 2021, HIV Outcomes organised a Working Group Session to discuss with the Steering Group and General Members potential funding opportunities for HIV projects beyond viral suppression in the EU4Health Programme (2021-2026)—the largest funding programme for health projects in the history of the European Union—with the purpose of identifying four to six concrete and scalable initiatives that may be considered for EU4Health funding.

At the meeting, the participants highlighted several priority areas beyond viral suppression that could be addressed by EU4Health-funded projects:

• Integrate e-health in HIV care and facilitate care provision through virtual platforms.
• Combat stigma and discrimination for people living with HIV.
• Address the impact of physical frailty on the HRQoL of people living with HIV.
• Provide better management for social frailty and mental health issues, and research the underlying causes (e.g. stigma, discrimination, physical decay) for a better response.
• Address the connections between COVID-19 and HIV.
• Address the impact of HIV on the HRQoL of vulnerable populations (including migrants and sex workers), and expand qualitative and quantitative research on such topic.
• Address the impact of HIV on the HRQoL of women, and expand qualitative and quantitative research on topics, such as frailty and menopause.

Participants also identified some examples of relevant HIV initiatives that could potentially be scaled up with EU4Health funding ahead of the EU4Health 2021’s call for projects expected in summer:

• ISGlobal & SEISIDA’s Clinic Screening Tool.
• EATG’s EmERGE.
• U = U (Undetectable = Untransmitable).
• Happi app.
• EU2Cure Consortium.