WHO/Europe names Danish CHIP centre to combat HIV, hepatitis and TB
Synopsis
WHO/Europe has handed Denmark's CHIP centre a four-year mandate to drive Europe's fight against HIV, hepatitis, TB, and STIs — anchoring the region's infectious disease response in Copenhagen's research infrastructure at a time when STI rates are climbing and drug-resistant TB remains a persistent threat.
Key Takeaways
WHO/Europe designated Denmark's CHIP as a new WHO Collaborating Centre on 1 May 2025 .
The centre is based at Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen .
The four-year mandate covers HIV , HIV/TB co-infection , viral hepatitis , and STIs .
Key tasks include expanding testing access, building health workforce capacity, and optimising national biomedical prevention programmes.
Ihor Perehinets , Health Security and Regional Emergency Director at WHO/Europe, highlighted the centre's role in extending WHO's technical capacity across member states.
The World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe) has designated Denmark's Centre for Health and Infectious Disease Research (CHIP) as a new WHO Collaborating Centre, tasked with strengthening regional responses to HIV, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis (TB), and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The announcement was made on 1 May, marking a significant expansion of WHO's technical footprint in Europe's infectious disease landscape.
The centre, housed at Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen, will partner with WHO/Europe and its member states to translate scientific evidence into actionable public health policy and accelerate progress toward regional health targets.
What the Designation Covers
Over a four-year mandate, CHIP's work will span several critical areas: building health workforce capacity, expanding access to testing for HIV, viral hepatitis, and STIs, and strengthening both implementation and operational research. The centre will also work to optimise national biomedical prevention programmes, with a particular focus on HIV/TB co-infection — a dual burden that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations across the European region.
Notably, the designation goes beyond HIV alone, formally incorporating STI surveillance and response into the centre's remit — reflecting growing concern among public health officials about rising STI rates across Europe.
What WHO Officials Said
Ihor Perehinets, Health Security and Regional Emergency Director at WHO/Europe, underscored the strategic value of the network.
Point of View
Or whether it remains an institutional arrangement that generates reports without shifting epidemiological curves. The inclusion of STIs alongside HIV and TB in the remit is telling: it signals that WHO/Europe views these as a connected epidemic cluster, not separate silos — a framing that could reshape how member states allocate prevention budgets.
NationPress
1 May 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the WHO Collaborating Centre designation given to Denmark's CHIP?
It is an official WHO/Europe designation that formally tasks Denmark's Centre for Health and Infectious Disease Research (CHIP) with supporting regional responses to HIV, viral hepatitis, TB, and STIs over a four-year period. The centre will work with WHO/Europe and member states to translate evidence into public health practice and strengthen institutional capacity.
Where is the newly designated WHO Collaborating Centre located?
The centre is based at Rigshospitalet and the University of Copenhagen in Denmark. It will collaborate directly with WHO/Europe and its member states across the European region.
What specific areas will CHIP focus on under this mandate?
CHIP will focus on HIV, HIV/TB co-infection, and viral hepatitis, while also supporting STI work. Its activities include expanding testing access, building health workforce capacity, strengthening operational research, and optimising national biomedical prevention programmes.
Why is HIV/TB co-infection a particular focus of this designation?
HIV/TB co-infection is a dual burden that significantly complicates treatment and worsens health outcomes, as HIV weakens the immune system and makes individuals more susceptible to TB. Addressing both together is considered critical to reducing mortality among the most vulnerable populations in the European region.
What did WHO/Europe's health security director say about the designation?
Ihor Perehinets, Health Security and Regional Emergency Director at WHO/Europe, stated that WHO collaborating centres contribute to regional health security by extending WHO's technical capacity, providing specialised expertise, and strengthening institutional capabilities in countries and across regions.
