Mapping of HIV/STI behavioural surveillance in Europe
The epidemics attributable to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and to other sexually transmitted infections (STI) remain a significant public health problem in Europe. The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) was established in 2005 with the objective of strengthening the capacity of the European Union (EU) to prevent and control infectious diseases, with HIV and other STI being among the priority diseases. Surveillance is an important task in this respect, and ECDC has a strong mandate to maintain and coordinate the databases for EU-wide surveillance of communicable diseases. Second generation surveillance (SGS) refers to surveillance that combines both the monitoring of biological (new cases of HIV/AIDS and STI) and behavioural indicators (e.g. sexual behaviour, use of protection). This approach is of importance both in informing policy development and in evaluating its outcome.
Executive Summary
In 2008, the ECDC tasked an international team of experts to produce an in-depth analysis of the current state of the art regarding behavioural surveillance programmes related to HIV and STI in European countries and to develop a proposal for a framework for the implementation of a key set of behavioural indicators related to HIV and STI in Europe. This report presents a mapping of behavioural surveillance systems related to HIV and STI in the EU Member States and in the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries. Surveillance is examined in the following populations: general population, youth, injecting drug users (IDU), men who have sex with men (MSM), people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), sex workers, STI clinic clients, migrant and ethnic minorities.
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