Every year, some 150 to 200 people in Amsterdam are diagnosed with HIV/AIDS, often at an advanced stage. These ’late presentation’ cases are of specific concern as the risk to infect others is relatively high and successful treatment is difficult and costly. It is estimated that some 6 percent (~ 380 people) of all HIV infected people in the city are not yet diagnosed.

Together with the H-TEAM (HIV Transmission Elimination Amsterdam) – a collaboration of several local parties engaged in prevention and care on HIV/AIDS – ahti develops a mapping project to trace HIV infected persons not yet aware of their status. Making use of geographical information system (GIS) methods, we combine several geodemographical data sources to estimate current and future HIV infections and identify specific high risk neighbourhoods in Amsterdam, so-called ‘hot spots’. This allows for a more area-oriented approach for HIV testing policies, strategies, and interventions.

In November 2018 the first results of the hot spots model were presented by ahti at the STD/HIV/SEX national congress.

Status & Timelines

ongoing, end date February 2020

Project Size (ahti)

Grant awarded by the MAC Aids Fund

Partners

H-TEAM: Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD), HIV Monitoring Foundation (SHM), Imperial College London, GGD Amsterdam, SOA Aids Nederland, National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM).

More info

Read more about the project & results on the H-TEAM website.