Acknowledgements

Communicating HIV Data

There are many uses for HIV surveillance data. The analysis, interpretation and dissemination of information will depend on the needs of the country for prevention and care and treatment programmes. In addition, the needs of the donors or scientific community may influence how the data are analysed and presented. Site-specific summaries should be provided to major reporting sources on a regular basis. HIV data can also be useful for presentations to policymakers, civic leaders, and legislators to help explain the need for services and funding of programmes.

be presented

Data can be presented in graphical/tabular format and narrative format. There are important considerations for presenting data; below are some minimum standards for graphical/tabular formats.
Standards for

graphical/tabular

data display

All figures must include:

• 
  clear titles, including the HIV diagnoses/disease stage and the time period
  
• 
  labelled axes
  
• 
  data source
  
• 
  footnotes
  
• 
  interpretation (including limitations of data).
  

Additionally, when presenting HIV case surveillance data, you should follow local confidentiality procedures for displaying small cell sizes (< 5).

audiences

There are many consumers of HIV information, including:

• 
  healthcare providers
  
• 
  other units of the Ministry of Health
  
• 
  National AIDS Programmes
  
• 
  the scientific community
  
• 
  community-based organisations
  
• 
  community planning groups
  
• 
  international donors
  
• 
  policymakers
  
• 
  the general public.
  

Report styles

Different audiences require different information and presentation styles, based on:

• 
  their familiarity with the terminology and concepts of surveillance
  
• 
  the action they will take based on the information, perhaps determined by their position in the HIV public health structure or elsewhere
  
• 
  their interest in specific information, or their interest in comprehensive information
  
• 
  their motivation to review the data critically
  
• 
  their needs or expectations.
  

The more organised the report, the more effective it will be in meeting the objectives.

HIV surveillance

report

An HIV surveillance report should be published on a regular basis (annually at a minimum). The report should include observed trends of the HIV epidemic, the risk patterns observed, transmission categories, age and sex distributions, geographic distributions.

epidemiological

report

The Epi Profile uses strategic information available in the country to describe and inform on the HIV epidemic. The report provides data from all HIV/STI surveillance activities (HIV case surveillance, HIV sero-prevalence surveys, STI surveillance, etc.) as well as related programme areas (such as VCT, PMTCT, care and treatment, TB control, etc.).

Fact sheets are brief descriptions focused on a specific subject. They are written in simple language and are formatted to convey basic information on a single topic or subject area. In areas with populations of other languages, some fact sheets may need to be translated into other languages (such as Spanish, French and/or Creole). Fact sheets will often include contact information for follow-up if more in-depth information is desired.

• 
  sex (men/women)
  
• 
  risk category
  
• 
  age groups (paediatric, adolescents, 50+)
  
• 
  special interest populations (sex workers, homeless, migrant populations, etc.).
  

Slide sets and

presentations

Visual presentations of surveillance data are an easy way to convey HIV surveillance data. Graphic presentations can add interest and impact to numeric data of comparisons, trends, etc. Slides prepared in PowerPoint (or a similar programme) can be used for electronic presentations, imbedded with text in printed reports, or printed as posters/displays. Slide sets can address similar topics as the fact sheets and should be updated annually. Examples include:

• 
  summary data
  
• 
  geographic distribution
  
• 
  trends (5 or 10 years)
  
• 
  proportions by demographic factors (sex, age, risk).
  

for HIV

1. 
   new diagnoses of HIV infection only
   
2. 
   concurrent diagnoses of HIV infection and advanced HIV disease
   
3. 
   new diagnoses of HIV infection with later diagnoses of advanced HIV disease
   
4. 
   concurrent diagnoses of HIV infection and AIDS
   
5. 
   new diagnoses of HIV infection with later diagnoses of AIDS.
   

Analyses for HIV, continued