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Operational
Research
National STI Prevalence Survey: One of the core
risk groups used in the HIV estimation is STI patients. As there was paucity
of literature about the exact magnitude of STI in the country, its prevalence
was assumed to be 10, 7 and 5% in the urban areas of high, moderate and low
HIV epidemic zones and 5% in the rural areas across the country. This
assumption needed validation. WHO supported National STI prevalence survey.
The data revealed a prevalence of 6% in urban areas across the country, 6.3%
in the rural areas of high HIV epidemic states and 5% in the rural areas of
the remaining states. The report is currently under peer review.
Feasibility Study of use of Female Condoms: Women
often find it difficult to negotiate the use of condoms by their partners.
One way to circumvent the problem is considered to be to promote female
condoms. As they were not hitherto used in India, it was considered essential
to assess the barriers to their use and the problems associated with
it. Studies on feasibility of the use of female condoms were undertaken
with WHO support in JJ Hospital, Mumbai and Madras Medical
College, Chennai. The
studies have been completed and reports are awaited.
Activities during 2005
 A
National Consultation on HIV estimates India 2004: Policy and Programme
Implications was held on 14th June 2005 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi with WHO
support. Eminent technical experts in the field of Epidemiology,
Bio-statistics, Project Directors from different
states and representatives from other organizations have attended this
consultation. Many technical points on implications and ways to improve the
surveillance and estimation process were discussed by the experts.
Regional
pre-surveillance meetings were held with Surveillance Officers of SACS at Pune July 5-6, 2005 (for Western region), Pondicherry on July 14-15, 2005 (Southern region), Guwahati on (East and North-Eastern regions) and Ranch
(Northern Region) to assess the preparedness and training needs for ensuing
round of surveillance with WHO support. Regional coordinating teams were also
invited to these meetings for a discussion on the gaps observed during the
2004 round of surveillance and to adopt the necessary modifications to
overcome them.
HIV
sentinel surveillance round 2005 has been launched from August 1, 2005 in 670
sites across the country.
Two
Training programmes were organized for M&E
officers and Data Entry operators of all SACS in Web based data entry system
in partnership with NIHFW and IIT, Delhi
(on).
Draft
reports on “Trends and distributions of HIV” and “National estimation of HIV
Burden – 2005” had been prepared and being peer reviewed.
HIV surveillance among TB patients has been
initiated in partnership by National AIDS Control Organization and Central TB
Division with the assistance of WHO.
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