53 countries to commit to accelerated action on HIV, as rates triple in 10 years in eastern Europe and central Asia.

Of the many reasons for the increasing rates, most are associated with the fact that people who are most at risk of HIV, through engaging in unprotected sex or sharing drug-injecting equipment, are those who are socially excluded or considered to be on the edge of society and whose rights are restricted or violated. These groups include men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs and their sexual partners, people in prison, sex workers and migrants.

The priority must be to stop new HIV infections and improve access to HIV services for these groups. The Action Plan confirms the commitments countries made at the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Meeting on AIDS in June 2011, as reflected in the Political Declaration on HIV/AIDS. These include efforts towards reducing sexual transmission of HIV and transmission of HIV among people who inject drugs by 50%, making progress in eliminating new HIV infections among children in the next five years, increasing the number of people receiving life-saving antiretroviral treatment and reducing tuberculosis-related deaths by half in people living with HIV by 2015. With the fiscal constraints facing many countries in the European Region, it is imperative that available resources are invested appropriately in evidence-informed and cost-effective programmes.