The World Health Organization has announced the establishment of a new collaborating centre in Denmark focused on tackling HIV, tuberculosis, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections. The decision is intended to reinforce the regional response to these diseases, which remain a major public health challenge across Europe.
WHO/Europe has designated the Centre for Health and Infectious Disease Research (CHIP), Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark as a WHO Collaborating Centre on HIV, HIV/Tuberculosis (TB) co-infection and viral hepatitis. The new centre will support WHO/Europe and Member States to strengthen public health responses to these diseases, as well as other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), with a focus on translating evidence into practice and accelerating progress towards regional targets.
“WHO collaborating centres contribute to regional health security by extending the World Health Organization’s technical capacity, providing specialized expertise, and strengthening institutional capabilities in countries and across the regions, – said Ihor Perehinets, Health Security and Regional Emergency Director, WHO Regional Office for Europe. – This centre will confront the challenges of HIV, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis through systematic and targeted activities, making the whole Region safer.”
Key areas of work will include supporting the implementation of modern prevention strategies, strengthening health systems and improving data collection and analysis. This will enable countries to respond more quickly to emerging challenges and make evidence-based decisions in public health.
WHO emphasizes that a significant proportion of HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis cases in the region remain undiagnosed. Therefore, the new centre is expected to play a crucial role in reducing this gap by promoting innovative testing approaches and expanding access to care.
The initiative is expected to contribute to achieving global targets for ending the epidemics of HIV, tuberculosis and viral hepatitis, as well as improving the quality of life for people living with these conditions.