On November 25 – 26, 2009 the Republican Association "AIDS" under the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, which is the main recipient of Global Fund grant to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, jointly with Central Asia AIDS Control Project (CAAP) conducted National Conference on “Condition of HIV infection epidemic in the Kyrgyz Republic based on the results of sentinel surveillance in 2008” The purpose of conducing such conference is presentation of data on sentinel surveillance in 2008 of HIV infection in Kyrgyzstan.
The important component of measures being carried out to control HIV spread is sentinel surveillance which allows systematically and on regular basis to gather, analyze, interpret data and provide information to public health services and other interested parties for decision-making, planning of prevention programs and efficient use of financial resources. Sentinel surveillance (SS) including surveillance of HIV infection is one of types of the epidemiological surveillance that enables to assess the epidemiological situation in target groups and get an idea about population as a whole. Target groups of SS on HIV infection are vulnerable groups of population: injecting drug users, sex workers, men having sex with men, prisoners with sexually transmitted infections, and pregnant women.
Objectives of SS on HIV infections include:
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assessment of spreading and breakdown of HIV in various groups of population;
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monitoring of trends of HIV spread within particular period of time;
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determining groups of population that are exposed to rather high levels of infection;
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assessment of behavior patterns and risk factors, which define probability of getting infected with HIV;
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application of received data for developing, planning and implementation of prevention programs;
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forecasting HIV spreading in the specific area and whole country;
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providing information for development of infection control programs and rational allocation of required resources;
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evaluation of efficiency of programs on HIV control and prevention.
The experts acquainted conference participants with results of SS surveys carried out in pilot areas of Kyrgyzstan through 2006 - 2008. Discussions with the subject “Strategy of carrying out SS at a country level – problems and perspectives of development” were held in groups. The first group included heads of the AIDS control and prevention centers, the second group – heads of epidemiological departments of the AIDS control and prevention centers, the third group – heads of laboratories. As a result of discussions each group provided proposals for the Resolution, which was accepted at the end of conference.
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