Repeated surveys to assess changes in behaviors and prevalence of HIV/STIs in populations at risk of HIV, round two (2009–2010)
July 2011 — The Integrated Behavioural and Biological Assessment (IBBA) National Summary Report (NSR) contains key findings from two rounds of the one of the largest IBBA surveys ever conducted among groups at risk of HIV. This report provides critical evidence for planners and policymakers in India and worldwide and serves to strengthen HIV prevention research. The surveys show that condom usage during commercial sex acts has increased considerably across all six of the included high-prevalence states in India. Overall, there is a decline or stabilization in the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among at-risk groups in most of the surveyed districts.
The surveys were implemented by the premier institutes of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) with technical leadership from FHI 360. Nearly 25,000 individuals participated in each round (round 1 from 2005 to 2007 and round 2 from 2009 to 2010). Participants included female sex workers and their clients, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, people who inject drugs and long-distance truck drivers. The assessment presents information on key indicators, such as types of sexual partners, condom use patterns with these partners, knowledge, awareness and prevalence of HIV and sexually transmitted infections.
This IBBA-NSR was prepared by FHI 360 in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as part of the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, under their Avahan — India AIDS Initiative.
Integrated Behavioral and Biological Assessment: Guidelines for Surveys of Populations at Risk of HIV Infection
March 2011 — The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation started the India AIDS Initiative — Avahan — in 2003 with the aim of slowing the HIV epidemic through focused, integrated, large-scale prevention among higher-risk populations in six states in India.
Two rounds of integrated behavioral and biological assessments (IBBA) have played an important role in evaluating Avahan, in order to measure and understand the impact of the Avahan interventions on key populations at higher risk. IBBA is a pioneering study in India that measured both behavioral and biological indicators. The Government of India has further strengthened second–generation surveillance at the national level using methods and tools developed by the IBBA team of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and FHI 360.
This manual is intended to be used by those who wish to carry out similar studies in India and elsewhere. It is operational in nature, without a heavy burden of theoretical and technical information. FHI 360 hopes that the manual will be useful for program managers, monitoring and evaluation personnel, and policymakers who want to use IBBA as a tool to monitor and evaluate HIV/AIDS interventions. This publication has been developed by FHI 360 in partnership with ICMR and its partner institutes as part of the Monitoring and Evaluation project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
