Hiv-Sweden and BaltHUB sign MoU – amid a worsening HIV epidemic in Eastern Europe

Malmö, August 6, 2025 – Hiv-Sweden has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with BaltHUB, a regional platform connecting civil society organizations from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Norway and now Sweden working on HIV related issues. The agreement aims to strengthen knowledge sharing across the Baltic Sea and improve services for refugees seeking safety from the Russian invasion war in Ukraine.

- We need to increase our understanding and preparedness in case of shifts in the HIV epidemic, at home and in our immediate proximity. A closer collaboration with organizations around the Baltics both helps in forward looking analysis and mounting collective responses, says Emanuel Karlström, strategist at HIV-Sweden.

In Ukraine some 250,000 people, or approximately 1% of the population, are living with HIV. Since the invasion, a large portion of Ukrainian refugees have fled to the Baltics and Nordic countries. While not all are living with HIV, this displacement has contributed to a noticeable increase in the number of people living with HIV in host countries.

In July, reporting of a sharp increase in the number of HIV cases among Russian military personnel came out. Russia already has the largest HIV epidemic outside of Africa, with over 1 million registered cases - a number that likely is an underestimation. Recent information made public that access to medicine, testing and other tools are lacking, both for Russian military personnel and for people living in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories.

- The reports about the development in Russia and areas in occupied Ukraine are very concerning, and how and when the war ends will likely dictate the long-term trajectory for the HIV epidemic in Europe, says Emanuel Karlström.

The agreement between Hiv-Sweden and BaltHUB takes effect immediately.

Link to BaltHUB website: https://balthub.ehpv.ee/