PrEP Scale-Up and PEP in Central and Eastern Europe: Changes in Time and the Challenges We Face with No Expected HIV Vaccine in the near Future

• Published in: Vaccines (Basel) 2023-01, Vol.11 (1), p.122
• Main Authors: Gokengin, Deniz, Bursa, Dominik, Skrzat-Klapaczynska, Agata, Alexiev, Ivailo, Arsikj, Elena, Balayan, Tatevik, Begovac, Josip, Cicic, Alma, Dragovic, Gordana, Harxhi, Arjan, Aimla, Kerstin, Lakatos, Botond, Matulionyte, Raimonda, Mulabdic, Velida, Oprea, Cristiana, Papadopoulos, Antonios, Rukhadze, Nino, Sedlacek, Dalibor, Sojak, Lubomir, Tomazic, Janez, Vassilenko, Anna, Vasylyev, Marta, Verhaz, Antonija, Yancheva, Nina, Yurin, Oleg, Kowalska, Justyna
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Central and Eastern Europe; Disease prevention; Drug stores; Drug use; Health risks; HIV; Human immunodeficiency virus; Infections; Licenses; Pandemics; Pharmacy; post-exposure prophylaxis; pre-exposure prophylaxis; Prophylaxis; Risk perception; Vaccines
• ISSN: 2076-393X; 2076-393X
• DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11010122

With no expected vaccine for HIV in the near future, we aimed to define the current situation and challenges for pre- and post-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP and PEP) in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The Euroguidelines CEE Network Group members were invited to respond to a 27-item survey including questions on PrEP (response rate 91.6%). PrEP was licensed in 68.2%; 95 centers offered PrEP and the estimated number on PrEP was around 9000. It was available in daily (40.1%), on-demand (13.3%), or both forms (33.3%). The access rate was