Usefulness of Information from the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme for HIV in England and Wales: Survey of Planners of HIV/AIDS Services

• Published in: International journal of STD & AIDS 1999-12, Vol.10 (12), p.808-811
• Main Authors: Kessel, A S, Watts, C J
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - epidemiology; AIDS/HIV; Biological and medical sciences; British Isles, England; British Isles, Wales; England - epidemiology; Health Planning; HIV Infections - epidemiology; Human immunodeficiency virus 1; Human viral diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Prevalence; Surveys and Questionnaires - utilization; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the lymphoid tissue and the blood. Aids; Wales - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0956-4624; 1758-1052
• DOI: 10.1258/0956462991913592

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether information from the Unlinked Anonymous Prevalence Monitoring Programme for HIV in England and Wales is useful to planners of HIV/AIDS services. The study involved 2 stages: examination of 1997 AIDS Control Act Reports for England and Wales, and a telephone questionnaire survey of local planners of HIV/AIDS services. Forty-eight out of 55 health authorities (87.3%) found information from the programme to be useful in general; 37/55 (67.3%) found the information useful for targeting of health promotion; 35/55 (63.6%) found the information useful for assessing the effectiveness of preventive measures aimed at reducing the spread of HIV; and 28/55 (50.9%) found the information useful for planning of medical or social services. If information from the programme was no longer available, 36/55 (65.5%) said it would make some difference to local planning, although 12/55 (21.8%) said it would make no difference. Local planners were generally supportive of the programme, and complaints were mostly directed at funding and timeliness of the reports.