title: How are countries in the Western Pacific Region tracking the HIV epidemic? Results from a 2011 survey of ministries of health.
abstract: In 2011, as part of the World Health Organization global reporting tool to collect data on the progress of improving the health sector response to HIV/AIDS towards universal access, a questionnaire was sent to ministries of health of Western Pacific Region Member States on the scope and functioning of their HIV surveillance systems. Of the 17 countries that responded, 13 were low- to middle-income countries and four were high-income countries. Regular serosurveillance surveys are conducted with female sex workers in all lower- and middle-income countries that responded to the survey but less so with people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men. Furthermore, there are no surveillance activities of the key populations in most of the Pacific island countries. It is recommended that estimations of high-risk populations be conducted in priority Pacific island countries and tailored surveillance systems be designed. Efforts should also be made to gather and accumulate data from sufficient geographic coverage to allow the HIV epidemic to continue to be monitored.
authors: HIV/AIDS and STI, Division of Combating Communicable Diseases, World Health Organization Regional Office for the Western Pacific, Manila, Philippines .
authors: Dongbao
authors: D
authors: Yu
authors: Teodora
authors: T
authors: Wi
authors: Jesus Garcia
authors: JG
authors: Calleja
references: Sex Transm Infect. 2010 Dec;86 Suppl 2:ii35-42
references: 21106513
references: Western Pac Surveill Response J. 2012 Nov 08;3(4):76-85
references: 23908946
references: AIDS Rev. 2011 Oct-Dec;13(4):214-26
references: 21975357
references: Sex Transm Dis. 2008 Sep;35(9):801-6
references: 18580823
references: Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2009 Jul;4(4):253-9
references: 19532061
references: Sex Transm Infect. 2008 Aug;84 Suppl 1:i85-i91
references: 18647872