Employment/Internship Opportunities
Surveillance of HIV Drug Resistance in North America
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Objectives:
To address key questions regarding and potential methods for surveillance of HIV drug resistance in North America.
Background:
HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) is a reality accompanying HIV treatment
and has the potential to seriously undermine treatment programs. Drug
resistance may be acquired at time of infection (transmitted HIV drug
resistance) or developed while on treatment, these two mechanisms not
being mutually exclusive.
Studies to estimate baseline HIVDR prevalence have been performed in small,
unrepresentative groups generally diagnosed in centers of excellence rather
than in public settings with a wider racial/ethnic and risk factor distribution.
No national discussions have taken place on the public health uses and
optimal methods for HIVDR surveillance and monitoring in either newly
diagnosed persons or patients receiving antiretroviral treatment. A surveillance
system designed to produce estimates based on representative samples would
require substantial resources, but could answer important public health
questions. Both the uses to which the data would be put, and the methods,
should be carefully specified to justify the resources required. The Forum
for Collaborative HIV Research, CDC, and Health Canada will bring together
experts to discuss HIVDR surveillance and monitoring issues, and to recommend
methods of integrating surveillance and monitoring into the current HIV
surveillance system.
Status:
An expert roundtable discussion followed by a discussion of the implementation
of the recommendations in city, state and provincial Departments of Health,
will be held on October 18-20, 2004.
The Steering Committee for this project includes Chris Archibald (Health
Canada), Diane Bennett (CDC), Walid Heneine (CDC), Susan Little (University
of California, San Diego), Veronica Miller (Forum for Collaborative HIV
Research) and Eve Mokotoff (US Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists).
Scientific chairs:
Project specific sponsors:
Forum for Collaborative HIV Research
Department of Prevention and Community Health
School of Public Health and Health Services2175 K St NW Ste 700
Washington, DC 20037
Phone: 202 530-2370
Fax: 202 530-3923
info@hivforum.org