About WEEPI

At the heart of the WEEPI Foundation lies a bold mission: to transform healthcare related to HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis (TB) in Eastern Europe. Established in October 2018, the WEEPI Foundation was founded on the belief that research, innovation and collaboration can overcome the region’s most pressing health challenges.

Since its first call for proposals in 2019, The WEEPI Foundation has steadily expanded its impact by supporting research-driven initiatives. Through a transparent selection process and a strong commitment to building local research capacity, WEEPI strengthens the evidence base for improved healthcare solutions. Each initiative contributes to advancing knowledge, enhancing professional expertise, and fostering sustainable improvements in prevention, testing, and care across Eastern Europe.

Watch the video here with from Dr Jürgen Rockstroh, Chair of the WEEPI Advisory Board and Professor at the University of Bonn, as he shares key insights into our mission and work. Watch the video to learn more.

What we do

Breaking barriers:

Reducing barriers to testing, prevention and care for HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis, including stigmatization and focusing on key population groups.

Enhancing care quality:

Improving quality of care of people living with HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis, including adoption of European guidance (EACS, WHO, ECDC) into national guidelines and standards and implementation of quality control instruments to improve standard of care.

Innovating services:

Generating evidence on new approaches to improving testing, prevention and care services for HIV, viral hepatitis, and TB (including linkage to care), and disseminating the research results at relevant fora.

Building capacity:

Developing capacity at national level through training and education of healthcare providers.

Fostering partnerships:

Building partnership with other health institutions at national and/or international level. Applicants are encouraged to seek support for the project from national health authorities in advance, if feasible.

Who we are

The Foundation operates under the guidance of an Executive Board, which sets the strategic direction. An Advisory Board, composed of leading European experts in the fields of HIV, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis, plays a crucial role in evaluating and selecting proposals. Learn more about the selection process for funding here. Every eligible project proposal undergoes a rigorous peer-review process to ensure transparency, scientific merit, and alignment with WEEPI’s mission. 

Boards

Prof. Manuel Battegay M.D. (University of Basel, Switzerland) 

Prof. Jens D. Lundgren M.D., D.M.Sc. (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) 

lic. iur. Andreas Dürr (Battegay Dürr AG Basel, Switzerland)  

Prof. Manuel Battegay M.D. (University of Basel, Switzerland) 

Prof. Jens D. Lundgren M.D., D.M.Sc. (University of Copenhagen, Denmark) 

Jürgen Rockstroh, Chair of the Advisory Board, European AIDS Clinical Society (EACS) 

Manuel Battegay, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Switzerland (Foundation Executive Board) 

Jens Lundgren, CHIP, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (Foundation Executive Board) 

Aisuluu Bolotbaeva, European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG)   

Anastasia Pharris, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) 

Jan Heyckendorf, European Respiratory Society (ERS) 

Justyna Kowalska, Medical University of Warsaw, Hospital for Infectious Diseases, Poland  

Maria Buti, European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 

Raminta Stuikyte, Office of Michel Kazatchkine; Vilnius University, Lithuania 

StelaBivol, World Health Organisation Regional Office for Europe 

Role and tasks of the Advisory Board

The WEEPI Advisory Board is a group of persons with particular expertise and experience relevant to the fulfilment of the aims and objectives of the Foundation. The role of the Advisory Board is to advise the Foundation Executive Board on the development and execution of its programme of work. 

The main tasks of the Advisory Board are to: 

  1. provide input on any plans or proposals as requested by the WEEPI Foundation Board; 
  2. make suggestions to the Executive Board on any specific areas that might be covered by future calls for proposals; 
  3. propose to the Executive Board any changes to the evaluation criteria used for reviewing and scoring the eligible project proposals; 
  4. supervise the issue of calls for stage 1 or stage 2 proposals; 
  5. based on the external expert review process, make recommendations to the Executive Board on suitable proposals to be approved for funding; and 
  6. make suggestions to the Executive Board on any improvements to the WEEPI workflow to increase the efficiency for future calls for proposals. 
 

The Advisory Board members are also expected to act as external reviewers of project proposals, in accordance with their area of expertise. 

To better fulfil these tasks, the Advisory Board may correspond with individual experts or suitable organisations on specific issues on a time limited and temporary basis.  

The WEEPI Foundation Board will formally appoint the members of the Advisory Board following the recommendation of the Executive Board.  The Advisory Board will consist of experts participants selected from leading European clinical associations or learned societies, non-governmental community organisations involved in HIV, viral hepatitis and TB and key public health organisations. In addition, the Foundation Board, guided by the Executive Board, may appoint a number of individual experts/clinicians with a significant role in the provision of HIV, viral hepatitis or TB clinical or public health services from countries in the eastern part of the WHO European Region.  

If a member of the Advisory Board has a conflict of interest in relation to one or more of the applications to be considered for funding (e.g., by having any role in the proposed project, or by being a national of the applicant country), this member will refrain from participating in the discussion and from voting. 

When appointing the Advisory Board members, the Foundation Board shall seek to achieve gender balance as well as a balanced distribution of expertise across the three disease areas. The initial appointment of members will be for three years. Members may be re-appointed. Members may expect the WEEPI Foundation to cover reasonable expenses for their involvement and travel related to their role as WEEPI Advisory Board members. 

The secretariat of the Advisory Board shall be provided by WEEPI’s scientific secretariat. 

The Advisory Board will select and appoint a chair from among its members. This position will be reviewed on an annual basis. The chair can be re-appointed.  

The Advisory Board will be invited to participate in teleconferences according to needs, mainly in relation to calls for proposals. Otherwise communication with the members will take place via emails as required.  

The Chair will draft the agenda and organise the Advisory Board meetings with support from the secretariat. Representatives of the Executive Board shall be invited to all meetings. 

The Advisory Board meetings shall go ahead if at least half of its members are present. 

The secretariat will be provided by the scientific secretariat who will take minutes of the Advisory Board meetings and circulate them to the members for their review and comments no later than two weeks following the meetings. The final minutes will be approved by the Chair and distributed to all the AB members and to the Executive Board. 

Agreement on the opinion or advice of the Advisory Board should strive to be achieved by consensus. If after a reasonable attempt this does not appear to be possible, the Chair may push the decision to be made by simple majority voting. In the event of a tie, the Chair shall decide. 

The Advisory Board shall otherwise regulate its own internal procedures as required. 

These terms of reference should be reviewed by the Advisory Board on an annual basis and any proposed changes be referred to the Executive Board for their consideration. 

Cæcilie Bom Kahama (CHIP, University of Copenhagen, Denmark) 

Annemarie Stengaard (CHIP, University of Copenhagen, Denmark) 

Dorthe Raben (CHIP, University of Copenhagen, Denmark) 

Niklaus Labhardt (University of Basel, Switzerland) 

info@weepi.org

Stefanie Bersacola Foundation Business Manager (University of Basel, Switzerland) 

office@weepi.org 

The WEEPI Foundation is registered in the Commercial Register of the Canton of Basel-Stadt, Switzerland. 

Financial audit of the foundation

The WEEPI Foundation undergoes regular financial audits. Annual revision reports are being reviewed by independent auditors and forwarded to the Swiss Federal Foundation Supervisory Authority. 

The foundation is funded by a private donor/philanthropist who has no role in the decision-making process regarding the selection of projects for receipt of funding. 

Co-financing: Join us in driving lasting change

The foundation is funded by a private donor/philanthropist who has no role in the decision-making process regarding the selection of projects for receipt of funding. 

At the WEEPI Foundation, we are committed to creating a lasting impact on public health by improving prevention, testing and treatment for HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis in Eastern Europe. To continue this vital mission, we actively seek co-financing from visionary donors who share our dedication to healthier futures. Your support will ensure our long-term growth, strengthen research capacity, and enhance the quality of prevention, testing, and treatment for those who need it most.  

For more information, please contact the WEEPI Foundation at info@weepi.org with copy to office@weepi.org.  

About HIV, viral hepatitis, and tuberculosis

The burden of major infectious diseases like HIV, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis (TB) is disproportionately high in the eastern part of Europe. Together these three infections are responsible for the deaths of about 110 000 people in the region every year (HIV 44 000, hepatitis 53 000, TB  13 000) – deaths that are entirely preventable with the right prevention and treatment. And the epidemics continue to grow – in 2023 140 000 people became newly infected with HIV, more than twice as many compared with year 2000 and 20% more than in 2010. Many people are infected with both HIV and TB or with both HIV and hepatitis at the same time, and TB remains the leading cause of death in people living with HIV. For viral hepatitis, more than 3 out of 4 people have not been diagnosed and are therefore unaware of their infection.

A major challenge is that the quality and access to healthcare is unevenly distributed across countries and populations, and many people face overwhelming barriers to accessing testing, vaccination, treatment and care. As an additional challenge, available treatments for tuberculosis have become less effective: in eastern Europe, a quarter of patients (26%) become infected with a drug resistant version of the bacteria – many more than in the rest of the world where this only happens to 4% of patients.

Below, you will find detailed insights into each of these health challenges. 

HIV remains a growing challenge in the WHO European Region, with an estimated 3.1 million people living with HIV as of 2023. Two-thirds of these people are in eastern Europe and central Asia (EECA), one of the few regions globally where the epidemic continues to grow.

  • Rising infections: Between 2010 and 2023, new HIV infections in EECA increased by 20%, with over 140,000 new infections in 2023 alone.
  • Gaps in care: Only 50% of people living with HIV in EECA were receiving antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2023, and just 42% were virally suppressed.
  • Key populations at risk: People who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, sex workers, prisoners, and migrants face the highest risks of infection due to stigma, risk behaviours and limited access to care in some settings.

References:

  1. UNAIDS. Global AIDS Update 2024. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2024.
  2. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control/WHO Regional Office for Europe. HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2024 – 2023 data. Stockholm: ECDC; 2024.
  • Rising infections: Between 2010 and 2019, new HIV infections in EECA increased by 72%, with over 140,000 new diagnoses in 2018 alone.
     
  • Gaps in care: Only 63% of people diagnosed with HIV in EECA were receiving antiretroviral therapy by the end of 2019, and just 41% were virally suppressed.
  • Key populations at risk: People who inject drugs, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, sex workers, prisoners, and migrants face the highest risks due to stigma and limited access to care.

References: 
1. UNAIDS. Global AIDS Update 2020. Geneva: UNAIDS; 2020. 

2. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control/WHO Regional Office for Europe. HIV/AIDS surveillance in Europe 2019 – 2018 data. Stockholm: ECDC; 2019. 

Hepatitis B and C are silent epidemics in the WHO European Region, affecting 14 million and 12 million people, respectively. These infections often lead to chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis and cancer, particularly when untreated.

  • Hepatitis B: Causes an estimated 43,000 deaths annually. While childhood vaccination programs have reduced new infections, many adults remain at risk, and treatment coverage data is lacking. It is estimated that only 16% of people with hepatitis B in the eastern part of Europe have been diagnosed, and just 12% of those diagnosed are receiving treatment. As a result, an estimated 84% remain unaware of their infection, leaving a large proportion of the affected population untreated.
  • Hepatitis C: Causes and estimated 21,000 deaths annually. High prevalence prevails in eastern Europe and central Asia (3–5%) compared to less than 0.5% in many western European countries. Direct-acting antiviral (DAA) medications can cure 95% of cases, but access remains limited especially in the eastern part of the Region. An estimated 29% of individuals with hepatitis C in eastern Europe have been diagnosed, and only 9% of all people with hepatitis C (diagnosed or undiagnosed) are receiving treatment. Approximately 71% remain undiagnosed.
  • Key vulnerable groups: People who inject drugs are particularly susceptible, with co-infections of HIV and hepatitis being common.

References:

  1. World Health Organization. Global Hepatitis Report 2024. Geneva: WHO; 2024
  2. World Health Organization (WHO). Hepatitis B in the WHO European Region. Geneva: WHO; 2022. Available at:https://www.who.int/europe/publications/hepatitis-b-in-the-who-european-region-factsheet-july-2022
  3. World Health Organization (WHO). Hepatitis C in the WHO European Region. Geneva: WHO; 2022. Available at:https://www.who.int/europe/publications/m/item/hepatitis-c-in-the-who-european-region-factsheet-july-2022

References: 
1.WHO Regional Office for Europe. Fact sheet on Hepatitis B in the WHO European Region. 

2. WHO Regional Office for Europe. Fact sheet on Hepatitis C in the WHO European Region. 

3. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Systematic review on hepatitis B and C prevalence in the EU/EEA. Stockholm: ECDC; 2016. 

Tuberculosis (TB) has seen progress in recent years, with a 27% decline in new cases in the WHO European Region from 2015 to 2023. However, TB remains a major public health challenge, particularly in eastern Europe, where multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB is alarmingly high.

References:

  1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control/WHO Regional Office for Europe. Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2025 – 2023 data. Stockholm: ECDC; 2025.

References: 
1. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control/WHO Regional Office for Europe. Tuberculosis surveillance and monitoring in Europe 2020 – 2018 data. Stockholm: ECDC; 2019.

Each of these challenges underscores the need for a concerted, evidence-based response. By prioritizing research, innovation, and collaboration, we can make significant strides in improving prevention, testing, and care for HIV, viral hepatitis, and TB across the region.

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