Use of data from HIV counselling and testing services for HIV surveillance in Africa
Abstract
A viewpoint piece discussing the scale-up of voluntary HIV counselling and testing services in countries participating in international initiatives, and the suggested use of these services' data-collection activities to fulfil donor-driven reporting requirements, monitor clinical indicators and to measure the effect of HIV-related interventions on the evolution of the epidemic. The authors believe that such use of this data is not appropriate: they believe the data are inherently biased and the function of the clinics could be compromised.
How data for HIV prevalence obtained from voluntary HIV counselling and testing sites should be interpreted is not clear.
Citation
Mwaluko, G.; Wringe, A.; Todd, J.; Glynn, J.; Crampin, M.; Jaffar, S.; Kalluvya, S.; Zaba, B. Use of data from HIV counselling and testing services for HIV surveillance in Africa. Lancet (2007) 369 (9561) 612-613. [DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60281-5]