AFC Supports Decision to Extend the Illinois HIV Surveillance Trial

CHICAGO -- The AIDS Foundation of Chicago applauds the decision by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to extend the state's HIV surveillance trial until 2003. Dr. John Lumpkin, IDPH Director, announced the decision in a statement released on May 8.

In 1999, IDPH established the current HIV surveillance system on a 2-year trial basis. The system relies on health care providers to report demographic and other information to public health officials for each person who tests HIV-positive or seeks HIV-related health care. The system is innovative because individual case reports are provided to health departments with a unique patient code number, rather than a name, in order to protect individuals' privacy and promote HIV testing. As part of the trial, IDPH had planned to determine by July 2001 whether to keep the current system or switch to a name-based system.

"IDPH made the right decision because the system's performance data are quite encouraging," said Mark Ishaug, AFC executive director. "We are confident that IDPH and its community partners will work hard in the period ahead to build on the current system's successes and make the system as good as or better than tracking systems in other states."

In its November 2000 report, entitled Promising Results: HIV Tracking by Unique Identifier in Illinois, AFC showed that the trial system had outperformed states that track HIV by name in efforts to collect risk information. AFC's report also made several recommendations to IDPH including extending the trial and broadening the system's performance evaluation. In the months ahead, AFC will work closely with IDPH, the CDC, and community stakeholders to make the system an even greater success.

The AIDS Foundation of Chicago (AFC) is Illinois' principal advocate for people living with and at risk for HIV disease. Established in 1985 to provide central leadership in the fight against the epidemic, AFC promotes sound HIV/AIDS public policy, funds HIV/AIDS care and prevention projects, and, through its Service Providers Council, helps to coordinate the delivery of essential HIV/AIDS services.

###