Surveillance

Defined as “ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of data” by the CDC, surveillance is an essential activity for planning, implementing, and evaluating public health priorities and programs. By conducting analyses of sentinel surveillance data and targeted behavioral surveillance studies, Futures Group has provided guidance to governments throughout the developing world on national HIV prevalence estimates and appropriate, focused prevention activities for addressing high-risk populations. In addition, Futures Group has worked with ministries of health (MOHs) on improving planning, protocols, and infrastructure supporting implementation of surveillance systems. This support has provided regional and national decisionmakers with accurate and reliable information on the HIV epidemic among high-risk populations.

For example, under the CDC-funded Support for HIV Surveillance in Central America Program, Futures Group supported evaluation of surveillance systems in the Honduran and Guatemalan MOHs to assist the National AIDS Programs in strengthening their information system infrastructures by improving data collection tools and study protocols.