Indonesian HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Update Sample Clauses

Indonesian HIV/AIDS Epidemiology Update. Few new data have become available in this quarter, though case reporting from a number of areas including Irian Jaya and East Java suggest the upswing in the epidemic registered in the last two years continues apace. The government is increasingly aware of the need to improve surveillance of both HIV itself and of the behaviors that spread it. At a workshop sponsored by ASA in April, an outline for strengthened HIV surveillance was developed, together with a series of activities. Many of these activities are now underway. A working group on surveillance has been constituted, and has met regularly. Consisting of Staff from P2M, WHO, ASA and other agencies, the working group also invites outside contributors to participate as relevant. So far, the working group has focused largely on two issues: developing a framework for wider behavioral surveillance, and preparing a national report on HIV. The national report, which will for the first time bring together all available information on the extent and distribution of HIV and the behaviors that spread it in Indonesia, is intended for a wide audience of policy makers and opinion leaders. It will be the first of what is intended as an annual document, and will be ready for the 7th ICAAP meeting in Melbourne in early October. The outline of the report was developed by a sub-committee of the surveillance working group in June, and an early draft of the full report should be available by early August. A press strategy is being developed to maximize the impact of the report. Efforts to increase the scope of behavioral surveillance through a long-term collaboration with the Central Bureau of Statistics (BPS) are underway. Discussions are at an early stage, but BPS has signaled its agreement in principle to implement BSS in ASA-supported provinces, under the guidance of a locally - constituted management board. The management board will include representatives of P2M, DPRD, NGOs and other locally influential partners. A Task Order has been developed with the Population Council to support the transfer of skills in BSS methodology to BSS. It is anticipated that partnership with BPS will considerably reduce the cost of implementing BSS, while increasing its scope and long-term sustainability. The collaboration with local management boards is intended to support increased local involvement and maximize the use of data in local level decision- making.