International Programs

Overview

The concept of the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base was developed by the U.S. Census Bureau in consultation with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 1987. The database was created to provide easy access to published results from the multitude of seroprevalence surveys and other studies that were being undertaken at the time. The database continues to be updated annually by the Census Bureau with the support of USAID to meet the needs of policy makers and program planners around the world.

The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base is a compilation of information from widely scattered small-scale surveys on the AIDS pandemic and HIV seroprevalence (infection) in population groups in developing countries. The Data Base hosts information from the medical and scientific literature, presentations at international conferences, and the press. Through the Data Base interface, available information for population groups in a selected country can be easily retrieved and displayed on the computer screen, and printed or saved to a .pdf or .csv file.  The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base includes all countries and areas of the world with at least 5,000 population, with the exception of Northern America (including the United States) and U.S. territories.

The current status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and trends in the spread of HIV infection are critical issues for policy makers and program planners in developing countries and the international development community. Identifying "hot spots" in the spread of infection assists decision makers in effectively allocating scarce program funds. Programs of ongoing data collection from specific sites, known as sentinel surveillance systems, have provided much data on prevalence among specific population groups in many countries – pregnant women attending antenatal clinics, patients seeking healthcare from clinics, sex workers, intravenous drug users, and others. Beginning in 2001, HIV testing from population-based surveys, such as the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), has provided important data from the general population.

The HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base is maintained by the U.S. Census Bureau with funds from the U.S. Agency for International Development, and it is updated annually. The Census Bureau welcomes comments and suggestions from users and copies of articles or references to information that may have been overlooked.

Available Software and Data

• Interactive version of the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base
• The prior version of the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base (December 2010) is available on CD-ROM. Send an e-mail with a mailing address to receive a copy.

Privacy Act Statement
The collection of your personal information for the HIV/AIDS Surveillance Data Base Customer List is authorized under Title 5 of the United States Code (U.S.C.), Section 301; and Title 44 U.S.C., Section 3101.

The purpose of collecting your information is to assist the Census Bureau in processing your request for data and to notify you of upcoming data releases. Information collected from you may include your name, personal address, phone number, and e-mail address.

Disclosure of your information is permitted under the Privacy Act of 1974 (Title 5 U.S.C., Section 552a) to be shared among Census Bureau staff for work-related purposes. Disclosure of your information is also subject to all of the published routine uses as identified in the Privacy Act System of Records Notice COMMERCE/DEPT-19, “Department Mailing List.”

Providing your information is voluntary. Failure to provide the information requested from you may affect the Census Bureau’s ability to effectively process your data request or to notify you of upcoming data releases.