News

On behalf of the European AIDS Clinical Society, I wish you a happy, healthy and hopeful 2026.

As we look ahead, there is much to inspire us. This year, our work will continue to focus on supporting clinicians, researchers and communities across Europe and beyond, while strengthening the foundations of HIV care for the years to come.

We remain committed to fostering early-stage careers for our colleagues through our educational activities. In June, we will gather Young Investigators in Valencia for two days of plenaries, workshops and peer exchange. This biennial event provides an important space for emerging leaders to deepen their knowledge and build lasting professional networks.

As every year, our HIV Summer School in September will bring together clinicians and researchers from around the world for five days of intensive learning and discussion. Participants will engage in plenary sessions, research exchanges, clinical case discussions and collaborative learning. Alongside this, fellows in the Career Development Exchange Programme and Short Clinical Exchange Programme will begin their placements with clinical teams and mentors across Europe.

We are also preparing for the second iteration of the European Diploma in HIV Medicine. Registration will open on 22 April 2026, with the exam taking place on 25 September 2026. The diploma is intended for practising medical professionals with at least three years’ experience in direct HIV care, and is grounded in the EACS Core Curriculum, which continues to guide all our educational work.

Read the full message here

31 August - 4 September 2026

The applications for the EACS HIV Summer School are now open. The course will take place from 31 August - 4 September in Lyon, France. 

This 5-day residential course is designed for clinicians involved in HIV management who wish to deepen their knowledge about all aspects of HIV medicine and research methodology. The course is delivered by an experienced faculty of key opinion leaders in the fields of HIV clinical care and research.

A maximum of 60 participants will be accepted.

A moderate fee of EUR 400 is charged, which will cover registration and accommodation (payment is due on confirmation of a place in the course). A limited number of scholarships are available to applicants from low-income countries.

Applications are open until 2 March 2026.

Click here for more information and apply today!

5-6 June 2026

The European Young Investigators (YING) Conference is an educational event held every two years. It brings together early-career clinicians and researchers working in the field of HIV across the WHO European Region.

Organised by a scientific committee of peers, the conference combines plenary sessions, interactive workshops, and opportunities for discussion and exchange. Its purpose is to encourage collaboration, share knowledge, and strengthen professional networks among those at the beginning of their careers in HIV research and care.

The next YING Conference will take place on 5-6 June 2026, in Valencia, Spain. 

Applications are open until 8 February 2026.

Read more and apply

Message for World AIDS Day 2025

By EACS President,  Miłosz Parczewski

This year’s World AIDS Day comes at the end of a challenging year.

We are seeing continued advances in HIV prevention, treatment and optimisation of care.  However, equity and access gaps continue to exist with recent political abandonment and international and national funding cuts endangering decades of progress.  Weakened HIV services across the world, including Africa, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia may have devastating effects.

Furthermore, wars, conflicts, aggression and  human rights violations affect our communities worldwide, including transgender people, people in migration and displaced populations, and the LGBTQI+ communities.

But there is also cause for optimism. At our European AIDS Conference in Paris this October (EACS 2025), we saw remarkable progress and celebration of unprecedented biomedical innovation. It is clear that scientific research into HIV is as strong as ever.

Read the full message.

On Monday, 17 November, during the EACS General Assembly, members elected a new Governing Board member. We are pleased to welcome Botond Lakatos (Hungary) to the EACS Governing Board! 

We also extend our heartfelt thanks to the outgoing member Marta Vasylyev (Ukraine) for her dedication and contributions during her term.

The research article entitled ‘Missed opportunities for anal cancer screening in women living with HIV in the WHO European Region: results from a WAVE survey’ is now published in Sexually Transmitted Infections.

The WAVE study investigated anal cancer screening practices for women living with HIV across the WHO European Region. Women with HIV have a higher risk of anal cancer, yet screening remains inconsistent. The survey of 240 healthcare professionals revealed:

• Only 28% reported following national anal cancer screening guidelines.
• Many national protocols do not include women with HIV, despite international recommendations from EACS and the International Anal Neoplasia Society.
• Access to screening tools is limited: anal cytology is not routinely available in 23% of settings, and high-resolution anoscopy in 37%
• Key barriers include lack of resources, integrated services, and clear guidance.

This study highlights the urgent need for harmonised guidelines, integration of screening into HIV care, and training of healthcare workers on its benefits. WAVE calls for action to close these gaps and protect women living with HIV.

Click here to read the article.

EACS President Miłosz Parczewski and Secretary Anne-Marie Wensing shared their vision for the future in an interview published by EMJ Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. They discussed priorities such as harmonising HIV care standards across Europe, ensuring equitable access to innovations like long-acting injectables, and strengthening collaboration to address challenges linked to migration, stigma, and continuity of care.

They also highlighted initiatives including a virtual clinic to share expertise across regions, programmes for young researchers, and gender-focused projects like WAVE. Both emphasised EACS’s unique role in connecting scientific, clinical, and community perspectives to shape policy and improve care.

Beyond leadership priorities, the interview also addressed emerging HIV subtype diversity due to migration, drug resistance trends, and the need for European-level solutions to complex issues such as mobility and cultural barriers. 

Read the full interview on EMJ here.

Esteban Martínez, Immediate Past President of EACS, shared insights on the major updates in the 2025 EACS Guidelines in an interview published by EMJ Microbiology & Infectious Diseases. 

Among the most main changes are long-acting therapies for HIV treatment and prevention, which offer freedom from daily pills and require robust organisational support. The Guidelines also place strong emphasis on person-centred care, incorporating patient-reported outcomes and shared decision-making to address ageing-related challenges such as frailty, cognitive health, and comorbidities.

Updates also include guidance on gender-affirming therapies, chemsex, and multidisciplinary collaboration to manage cardiovascular, metabolic, and mental health issues.

Read the full interview on EMJ here.