Methodology explained

Knowing the status of the epidemic and monitoring the programmatic response are critical to understand where the epidemic is going and whether programmes are achieving desired impact. In order to Know the Epidemic, UNAIDS recommends the use of methodologies, tools and software which are regularly reviewed and adapted to respond to an evolving epidemic and changing needs.

Updated Q&A on HIV estimates

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Improving national and regional estimates

Between March and June 2007, national epidemiologists, analysts and heads of AIDS programmes from 124 countries have taken part in specialist UNAIDS training to improve and refine country HIV estimates.

Eleven regional training workshops have been conducted around the world to bring epidemiologists up to date with the latest developments in estimates tools and software packages including updated assumptions based on new evidence from research and added new features.

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Results of recent population-based surveys

By mid 2007 a total of 26 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, two in the Caribbean and two in Asia had conducted nationally representative population-based surveys with HIV prevalence measurement. The results from these surveys are helping UNAIDS and goverments to refine and update AIDS estimates as new information becomes available.

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2.5 million people living with HIV in India

As part of its continuous efforts to know its epidemic better, India’s National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), supported by UNAIDS and WHO, have used improved data from more sources and revised the methodology used to analyse this new data to get a better understanding of the AIDS epidemic in India.

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UNAIDS and Indian business giant to link up for AIDS