Port Blair, Jan 02: The 18th Round of HIV Sentinel Surveillance (HSS) 2022-23 will be carried out in Andaman & Nicobar Islands from 1st January, 2023 to 31st March, 2023 along with the rest of the country. Surveillance is an ongoing, systematic collection, analysis, interpretation and dissemination of data regarding a health related event for the use in public health action to reduce morbidity and mortality and to improve health. The Antenatal Clinic cites include Antenatal Clinic, G.B. Pant Hospital, Port Blair; Antenatal Clinic, CHC Rangat (Composite Site); Antenatal Clinic, BJR Hospital, Car Nicobar (Composite Site) and Antenatal Clinic, PHC Garacharma, Port Blair (Composite Site).
The 18th Round of HIV Sentinel Surveillance will be conducted throughout the Islands under the supervision of three teams, i.e. Central, Regional & State Level which comprises expertise from WHO, UNAIDS and other National & International agencies who will provide continuous support and guidance.
For successful implementation of surveillance system, capacity building of facility level staff was conducted during the two days State Level Training for HSS Site Personnel of ICTC Medical Officer In-charge, Counselors, Laboratory Technicians and other facility Staff in the Conference Hall of Directorate of Industries, Middle Point on Dec.27 & 28, 2022. The training programme was inaugurated by the chief guest, Dr. Munni Singhania, Director of Health Services (DHS), A & N Administration.
In her address, the chief guest remarked that HIV Sentinel Surveillance has been the basis for tracking of HIV/AIDS since its inception and it has been the mainstay of epidemic monitoring among ANC, High Risk Group and Bridge population under the National AIDS and STD Control Programme.
Earlier, Mr. K. Sankar Rao, AD (M&E), Focal Person HSS welcomed the gathering and briefed about the objectives of HSS. Dr. ShahinaMustaquim (Microbiologist) and Dr. P. K Sikdar also addressed the participants.Dr. Subrata Biswas, Project Coordinator (HSS), NICED-ICMR, Kolkata; Dr. ShahinaMustaqim, Sr. Microbiologist, ANIIMS, GB Pant Hospital were the resource persons. Certificates were distributed to the trainees.