Abstract
BackgroundEstimation of the size of populations at risk of HIV is a key activity in the surveillance of the HIV epidemic. The existing framework for considering future research needs may provide decision-makers with a basis for a fair process of deciding on the methods of the estimation of the size of key populations at risk of HIV. This study explores the extent to which stakeholders involved with population size estimation agree with this framework, and thus, the study updates the framework.MethodsWe conducted 16 in-depth interviews with key informants from city and provincial governments, NGOs, research institutes, and the community of people at risk of HIV. Transcripts were analyzed and reviewed for significant statements pertaining to criteria. Variations and agreement around criteria were analyzed, and emerging criteria were validated against the existing framework.ResultsEleven themes emerged which are relevant to the estimation of the size of populations at risk of HIV in Viet Nam. Findings on missing criteria, inclusive participation, community perspectives and conflicting weight and direction of criteria provide insights for an improved framework for the prioritization of population size estimation methods.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that the exclusion of community members from decision-making on population size estimation methods in Viet Nam may affect the validity, use, and efficiency of the evidence generated. However, a wider group of decision-makers, including community members among others, may introduce diverse definitions, weight and direction of criteria. Although findings here may not apply to every country with a transitioning economy or to every emerging epidemic, the principles of fair decision-making, value of community participation in decision-making and the expected challenges faced, merit consideration in every situation.
Highlights
Estimation of the size of populations at risk of HIV is a key activity in the surveillance of the HIV epidemic and management of the response [1]
The motivation behind selecting these three groups was that they encompass the actors who have a stake in the decision-making in surveillance activities, including population size estimations, at the provincial level in Viet Nam
We explored the perspectives of multiple stakeholders in Viet Nam who were previously involved in population size estimation studies, on criteria relevant to selecting methods of population size estimation for surveillance of HIV epidemic, and the extent to which these criteria agree with the AHRQ framework for Considering Study Designs for Future Research Needs [30]
Summary
Estimation of the size of populations at risk of HIV is a key activity in the surveillance of the HIV epidemic. Estimation of the size of populations at risk of HIV is a key activity in the surveillance of the HIV epidemic and management of the response [1]. A number of estimates of the size of key population at risk of HIV were attempted in Viet Nam [9,10,11]. Still other methods of key at-risk population size estimation with a number of design decisions exist that have not yet been tried in Viet Nam, such as the network scale-up method, the survey-surveillance discrepancy method, or the “never married” method [3, 13, 14]
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