Biological HIV Surveillance
Description
Biological surveillance of HIV infection is used to assess the prevalence and incidence of HIV in different populations at higher risk of infection, or in the general population, and monitor trends in HIV prevalence and incidence over time. Biological surveillance enables to identify groups with the highest needs for public health and clinical interventions, and evaluate public health measures aimed at prevention and control of HIV infection.
Learning objectives
The aim of this course is to introduce the principles and concepts of HIV/AIDS surveillance and components of HIV biological surveillance systems, demonstrating the necessary steps in setting up biological surveillance systems and defining strategies best adapted to country specific situations.
The course will address different tests used in surveillance (ELISA, Western Blot, rapid tests, etc) and explain their validity and utilization in different types of epidemics, as well as the principles of handling biological specimens. Basic principles of data collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination will be explained. The course provides the overview of use and procedures of unlinked and linked anonymous testing and discusses a range of ethical issues and challenges in HIV biological surveillance.
Key topics
Clinic and institution-based biological surveillance
Biological surveillance as part of community-based surveys
HIV testing algorithms and tests used in surveillance in low-level, concentrated and generalised epidemics
Molecular diagnostics of HIV
Incidence-based HIV surveillance
Monitoring resistance to ARV
Analysis of surveillance data
Quality control in clinical laboratories
Data dissemination
Ethics in HIV biological surveillance
Development of a protocol for biological surveillance
Teaching Methods
The course consists of lectures, exercises and presentations. Interactive methods (e.g. group work, exercises) will be used to encourage full participation from attendees. Participants will be encouraged to reflect upon and apply their learning to their own country settings and to share their experiences with others
Target Audience
Epidemiologists, social scientists, public health professionals.
Duration:
The course takes place in five days.
Partners:
Institute for Global Health, University of California, San Francisco, USA
University Hospital for Infectious Disease „Dr. Fran Mihaljevic“, Zagreb
Croatian Institute of Public Health
Key references:
Guidelines for conducting HIV sentinel serosurveys among pregnant women and other groups
UNAIDS/WHO working group on global HIV/AIDS and STI surveillance
Link
Guidelines for measuring national HIV prevalence in population-based surveys
UNAIDS/WHO working group on global HIV/AIDS and STI surveillance
Link
Guidelines for using HIV testing technologies in surveillance: selection, evaluation, and implementation. UNAIDS, CDC, WHO
Link
WHO case definitions of HIV for surveillance and revised clinical staging and immunological classification of HIV-related disease in adults and children
HIV testing manual
AIDS Indicator Survey
Macro International Inc.
Link
HIV test kit evaluations
WHO
Link
Using the BED HIV-1 Capture EIA Assay to Estimate Incidence Using STARHS in the Context of Surveillance in the United States
CDC
Link
The Role of Name-Based Notification in Public Health and HIV Surveillance
CDC
Link
EuroHIV 2006 survey on HIV and AIDS surveillance in the WHO European region
EuroHIV
Link
HIV sentinel surveillance in high-risk groups in Azerbaijan, the Republic of Moldova and the Russian
Federation
WHO
Link
Case Study on estimating HIV infection in a concentrated epidemic: Lessons from Indonesia (2004)
WHO
Link
Ethical issues to be considered in second generation surveillance
WHO
Link
Downloads:
Programme: Biological HIV Surveillance
