Table 1 Formalisation and organisation of behavioural and second generation systems in countries reporting behavioural surveillance (n = 16).

Belgium

No

Informal, mix of national and regional repeated or small scale one/off studies

No

-

-

Cyprus

HIV/AIDS

strategic plan

No management/coordination body

Yes, partly

Yes

Information from BS and biological systems is analysed and interpreted informally by program officials. A recent report on period 1986-2007 has been produced

Denmark

No

Surveillance only in MSM

No

Estonia

M&E system, national AIDS strategic plan

Coordination by a government agency

Yes

Yes

Separate bodies for behavioural and biological surveillance, coordination by the National Institute for Health Development Agency with centralised production and dissemination of reports

Finland

No

Under the responsibility of a government agency

No

-

Under the responsibility of the National Public Health Institute

France

No

No centralized body: various national agencies (surveillance, research, prevention) and other institutions are involved inbehavioural surveillance.

Yes

No

Coordination by the Institut de Veille Sanitaire (InVS). Reports or syntheses of studies are issued periodically

Germany

No

Informal coordination between the Federal Ministry of Health, a health agency and research institutions

Yes, partly

No

Organised informally by a network of institutions

Latvia

Regulation for registration of infectious diseases

Under the responsibility of a government agency

Yes, for IDU only

Yes

Under the responsibility of the Public Health Agency

Lithuania

National AIDS programme and Resolution on STI surveillance

Under the responsibility of the Ministry of Health (MOH)

Yes, partly

Yes

Management by the MOH

Netherlands

No

No centralised body: cooperation between the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment and the HIV/STIs Agency

Yes, partly

Yes

Cooperation within a network of institutions; reports are issued regularly

Poland

National programs on AIDS and on addictions

No centralized coordination, collaboration between agencies

Yes partly

Yes

Information comes from different sources, and is sometimes, but not routinely, used to interpret the epidemiological situation. Reports are published on the government site

Slovenia

Institute of Public Health internal protocols

Under the responsibility of the Institute of Public Health of the Republic of Slovenia

Yes

Yes

Institute of Public Health is responsible for the analysis, interpretation and dissemination of SGS information to many audiences (MOH, media, professionals, population)

Spain

HIV multisectoral plan

Under the responsibility of the Secretariat of the National Plan on AIDS, Ministry of Health

Yes

Yes

The Secretariat of the National Plan on AIDS collects and publishes available information

Sweden

No

Under the responsibility of a government agency of the National Board for Health and Welfare

Yes, for general population

-

Collaboration within a network of institutions; summary reports are produced by the National Board of Health and Welfare for the government, and then sent to all health authorities in the country

Switzerland

National AIDS program, protocols

Under the responsibility of the University Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine and financed by the Federal Office of Public Health

Yes

Yes

Coordination is assumed by the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH). All information pertaining to SGS is presented and discussed in a special working group-including FOPH, non-governmental organisations, partners from biological and behavioural surveillance. Reports are issued periodically

UK

Scientific article

No centralized body. Data produced by a network of agencies.

Yes, partly

Yes

No central coordination and dissemination of data; this is left to individual institutions and/or research groups to synthesise and publish