The OptTEST project (Optimising testing and linkage to care for HIV across Europe) was a three year project funded by the EU Commission under the Second Health Programme 2013 call for proposals. The project officially started on 1st July 2014 and was aimed at helping reduce the number of undiagnosed people with HIV infection in the European region and to promote timely treatment and care. The project also provided tools and assessment methods to analyse and effectively respond to late presentation for HIV care and treatment, with a particular emphasis on priority regions and groups throughout Europe.

East, West and Southern EU regions represented in the project reflected different HIV epidemics, healthcare structures, HIV testing policies and HIV related stigmatisation and criminalisation. The project was not only able to highlight regional differences, but also extrapolated the outcomes, tools and methods developed to other countries within each region by adapting these to the appropriate geographical context. 

The project was build on the multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder platform of HIV in Europe, which has been recognised as an important initiative by the relevant EU Commission, the EU Think Tank on HIV/AIDS, the EU Civil Society Forum on HIV/AIDS, WHO Europe, ECDC and EMCDDA. The OptTEST project finalized 30 September 2017.
For more information, please visit: www.opttest.eu