Estimated prevalence of HIV among Ukrainian refugees, Ireland

Aim
To estimate the number of people living with HIV (PLHIV) among Ukrainian refugees living in Ireland.
Methods
HIV prevalence data from the Global Burden of Disease study were applied to the known number of Ukrainian refugees living in Ireland according to the Central Statistics Office up to 6th June 2023. UNAIDS data was used to estimate the number of PLHIV who know their status, the number who were on antiretroviral therapy (ART) and the number who had suppressed viral loads.
Results
As of 6th June 2023, the estimated number of PLHIV among Ukrainian refugees in Ireland is 509 people (95% CI: 324-807). Of these, 222 (95% CI: 144-342) are likely to be male and 287 (95% CI: 180-465) are likely to be female. The greatest number of expected cases are among those aged 30-44 years. It was estimated that 382 (95% CI: 243-606) of PLHIV knew their status, 316 (95% CI: 201-501) of PLHIV were on ART, and 295 (95% CI: 188-468) of PLHIV had suppressed viral loads prior to the war.
Discussion
It is likely that there are additional PLHIV to be identified and linked into healthcare services among newly-arrived Ukrainian refugees in Ireland. These estimates may aid healthcare service planning.