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National HIV Surveillance System of the Philippines
ZYMosende of Mainit, Surigao del Norte
AIDS Registry
To keep track of the epidemiology of HIV and AIDS, the DOH maintained a passive surveillance system, the AIDS Registry. The registry continuously logs Western blot-confirmed HIV cases reported by hospitals, laboratories, blood banks, and clinics. Unfortunately, the number of subjects tested by year cannot be ascertained and, therefore, rates cannot be calculated. Likewise, data input into the registry is limited, because mandatory HIV testing is prohibited by Philippine laws, and voluntary counseling-and-testing services for HIV is limited. Thus, the registry may not be fully sensitive to capturing potential HIV cases.
Integrated HIV Behavioral and Serologic Surveillance (IHBSS)
In 2004, the NEC of the Department of Health and Family Health International undertook an evaluation of the current HIV surveillance system and made recommendations for adopting new methodologies and questionnaires to improve the capacity of the system to detect emerging localized epidemics and measure behaviors that put populations at risk for HIV transmission. The recommendations were accepted and the revised Integrated HIV Behavioral and Serologic Surveillance (IHBSS) system was implemented in 2005.
The overall purpose of the Philippines integrated HIV and behavioral surveillance system is to provide data to improve the country response to the epidemic with the following specific objectives:
• Quantifying the magnitude of HIV infection
• Understanding how HIV is spreading - or might potentially spread
• Assisting in HIV/AIDS program planning
• Advocating for prevention and care services
• Aiding in program evaluation
Download: 2005 IHBSS Report | 2007 IHBSS Report | 2009 IHBSS Report
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National Epidemiology Center
The National Epidemiology Center (NEC), managing AIDS Registry and IHBSS, is tasked to develop and evaluate surveillance systems and other health information systems: collect, analyze and disseminate reliable and timely information on the health status; investigate disease outbreak and other threats to public health, network of public health laboratories in support of epidemiological and surveillance activities.