Uses of HIV and Other Public Health Data for HIV Prevention and Care Planning

Epidemiologic data are critical to describing the sociodemographic, geographic, behavioral, and clinical characteristics of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in a given area. These data are used at the state and local level by program and policy officials for making recommendations on the allocation of scarce HIV prevention and care resources, for planning programs, and for evaluating programs and policies. HIV Prevention and Care Community Planning groups are required to use local epidemiologic data to help determine which groups to target for prevention and care funding. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources Services Administration (HRSA) (2004) have provided guidance on the creation of integrated epidemiologic profiles to assist jurisdictions in describing the effect of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Both agencies promote the use of HIV and other health–related data by state and local health departments to advance the goals of preventing new HIV infections and caring for those with HIV/AIDS. This supplement to AIDS Education and Prevention features articles focusing on how epidemiologic and other health–related data, including service delivery data, are used for describing the effect of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in an area, for priority setting of program objectives , and for resource allocation for HIV prevention and care. Synthesizing data from surveillance programs, prevention and care programs, and other sources of health–related data can lead to improvements in program planning and evaluation activities. The seven articles in this supplement illustrate the process of synthesizing such data to enhance HIV prevention and care program planning and evaluation. Three articles discuss methods for constructing a comprehensive overview of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in communities at the state and local level. The rationale and need for data synthesis in planning prevention and treatment is provided in an article by Whitmore, Zaidi, and Dean. They summarize CDC and HRSA’s Integrated Guidelines for Developing Epidemiologic Profiles: HIV Prevention and Ryan White CARE Act Community Planning (CDC & HRSA, 2004) which provides a blueprint for planning by promoting standardized approaches across jurisdictions. In their article, Hayes, Gambrell, Aff, Young and Conviser provide an overview of the challenges encountered in planning and funding HIV care services under the Ryan White Comprehensive AIDS Resources Emergency (CARE) Act. Finally, Ikard and colleagues describe a framework for estimating the number of people living with HIV/AIDS who AIDS Education and Prevention, 17, Supplement B, 1–2, 2005 © 2005 The Guilford Press