A decade of investments in monitoring the HIV epidemic: how far have we come? A descriptive analysis

Abstract

BackgroundThe 2001 Declaration of Commitment (DoC) adopted by the General Assembly Special Session on HIV/AIDS (UNGASS) included a call to monitor national responses to the HIV epidemic. Since the DoC, efforts and investments have been made globally to strengthen countries’ HIV monitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity. This analysis aims to quantify HIV M&E investments, commitments, capacity, and performance during the last decade in order to assess the success and challenges of national and global HIV M&E systems.MethodsM&E spending and performance was assessed using data from UNGASS country progress reports. The National Composite Policy Index (NCPI) was used to measure government commitment, government engagement, partner/civil society engagement, and data generation, as well as to generate a composite HIV M&E System Capacity Index (MESCI) score. Analyses were restricted to low and middle income countries (LMICs) who submitted NCPI reports in 2006, 2008, and 2010 (n =78).ResultsGovernment commitment to HIV M&E increased considerably between 2006 and 2008 but decreased between 2008 and 2010. The percentage of total AIDS spending allocated to HIV M&E increased from 1.1% to 1.4%, between 2007 and 2010, in high-burden LMICs. Partner/civil society engagement and data generation capacity improved between 2006 and 2010 in the high-burden countries. The HIV MESCI increased from 2006 to 2008 in high-burden countries (78% to 94%), as well as in other LMICs (70% to 77%), and remained relatively stable in 2010 (91% in high-burden countries, 79% in other LMICs). Among high-burden countries, M&E system performance increased from 52% in 2006 to 89% in 2010.ConclusionsThe last decade has seen increased commitments and spending on HIV M&E, as well as improved M&E capacity and more available data on the HIV epidemic in both high-burden and other LMICs. However, challenges remain in the global M&E of the AIDS epidemic as we approach the 2015 Millennium Development Goal targets.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1478-4505-12-62) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Global AIDS Reporting-2001 to 2015: Lessons for Monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals

“…The last decade has seen increased commitments and spending on HIV M&E, as well as improved M&E capacity [22]. However, while these systems will soon celebrate 15 years, can this interest and commitment be maintained?…”

Prevalence of HIV Infection Among Foreign Applicant to Residency in Shanghai, China, 2005-2016

“…Epidemiological characteristics of infectious diseases have changed dramatically requiring necessitate health care workers to understand the status of these diseases, especially for AIDS and other pandemics disease [8][9][10] . Efforts and investments have been made globally to strengthen countries' HIV monitoring and evaluation capacity [11] . Cross-border travelers with an HIV infection may cause local HIV transmission and are de ned as a bridge population [12] .…”

Prevalence of HIV infection among foreign applicant to residency in Shanghai, China, 2005-2016

“…Epidemiological characteristics of infectious diseases havechanged dramatically requiring necessitate health care workers tounderstand the status of these diseases, especially for AIDS andother pandemics disease [8][9][10] . Efforts andinvestments have been made globally to strengthen countries' HIVmonitoring and evaluation (M&E) capacity [11] . Cross-border travelerswith an HIV infection may cause local HIV transmission and arede ned as a bridge population [12] .…”