ECDC/EACS Standards of HIV Care

Through a collaborative process, jointly led by The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and EACS, significant progress has been made towards establishing European standards of HIV care.

The standards of care (SoC) for HIV care define the expected, or desired, quality of prevention, treatment, and care for people at risk of HIV acquisition or living with HIV. The standards are based on a scientific rationale, as well as the responsibilities of each stakeholder and ensure that people receive appropriate, high-quality prevention and care that aligns with the most up-to-date medical knowledge and ethical standards. 

The standards are person-centred in their approach with a specific focus on being equitable, non-discriminatory, relevant, appropriate, and accessible for people at risk of or living with HIV.

Standards of care have been developed in the areas of:

• HIV testing
• pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP)
• commencement of antiretroviral therapy (ART)
• HIV and co-morbidities
• antenatal screening

Additional standards in the following area are in development and expected to be published in 2026:

• engagement in care

Each standard is based on the following structure: 

• Brief description of the rationale for the standard
• Quality statements describing best practice based on current guidelines, evidence, and expert opinion
• Related measurable and auditable outcome indicators used to assess the quality and effectiveness of the services
• Numeric values for defined targets.

For the full set of materials and further information, visit the page 

ECDC/EACS standards of HIV care 

The page provides an overview of the standards, the methodological approach underpinning their development, the individual standard of care modules, and the available audit tools and resources.