Advanced Methods in HIV Surveillance
Description
In spite of the improvements in the quantity and quality of HIV surveillance systems in the past five years, substantial efforts are needed in the countries to implement fully functioning HIV surveillance. That in particular relates to the need to improve HIV incidence, morbidity, and mortality surveillance and to more effectively use the data.
HIV surveillance is broad in terms of the content and operations due to the complexity of the HIV epidemics. In addition to the key surveillance components, comprehensive HIV surveillance systems have a number of data collection mechanisms in place that provide information that are crucial for planning a timely and effective HIV response.
These are:
- incidence-based HIV surveillance
- surveillance of opportunistic infections (such as tuberculosis) and diseases transmitted in similar ways as HIV (particularly hepatitis B and C)
- CD4 T-lymphocyte surveillance which monitors trends in immunosuppression associated with HIV infection
- surveillance of AIDS-related mortality
- size estimates of most at-risk groups
- operational research to understand the feasibility of implementation of advanced HIV surveillance
- programmatic data that are useful for evaluating the impact of HIV control programmes (VCT, PMTCT data)
- data triangulation
- geographic information systems
- surveillance for antiretroviral impact
- surveillance for antiretroviral resistance
Learning objectives
The aim of the course is to describe the components of an advanced system of HIV surveillance, in particular new developments in HIV incidence-based surveillance and assays, surveillance of HIV drug resistance and population size estimates of most-at-risk groups.
During the group work, participants are expected to develop a protocol for an advanced component of HIV surveillance, which can be a protocol for an incidence-based HIV survey, HIV drug resistance surveillance, population size estimates or a proposal on how to better use programmatic data in HIV surveillance. Participants are encouraged to develop protocols that will be used in their own countries.
Key topics of the course are:
· Incidence-based HIV surveillance
· Programmatic data: VCT, PMTCT, ARV coverage, HIV drug resistance data
· Surveillance of co-factors for HIV transmission and co-morbidities
· Trend and cohort data analysis
· Geographic information systems in HIV surveillance
· Population size estimates
· Estimating effectiveness of HIV surveillance
Teaching Methods
The course consists of lectures, presentation of case studies, exercises and group work. The course is designed to provide participants with practical skills and knowledge in development of a more effective and comprehensive HIV surveillance systems in their countries.
Target Audience
Epidemiologists, public health professionals, social scientists
Duration and site:
The course takes place in five days, from 12-16 July 2010 in Cavtat (close to Dubrovnik), Croatia. The course will take place at the Hotel Croatia in Cavtat ( http://www.hoteli-croatia.hr/ )
The tuition fee for the course is 750 EUR per participant.
To apply for the course please contact Ms Patricija Jankovic or Ms Danijela Leso at: training@snz.hr or apply on-line at www.surveillancezagreb.org
The course is organized by:
WHO Collaborating Centre for Capacity Building in HIV Surveillance
School of Public Health “Andrija Štampar”
School of Medicine, University of Zagreb
Rockefellerova 4
10 000 Zagreb, Croatia
Phone: + 385 1 45 90 142/ 45 90 100
Fax: + 385 1 46 84 212
Programme Advanced HIV Surveillance
