Table 1

Data sources for monitoring the HIV/AIDS epidemic in India

Survey type	Name of survey/data set	Survey details	Year and frequency	Geographical coverage
Survey type	Name of survey/data set	Survey details	Year and frequency	States surveyed^†	Geographical unit of analysis
Annual HIV/AIDS sentinel surveillance (HSS)	Antenatal clinics (HSS-ANC)	Unlinked anonymous testing for HIV and syphilis of sample pregnant women attending select ANC clinics during the sentinel surveillance period.	1998–2010 (Annual)	All	District
	Sexually transmitted disease clinics (HSS-STD)	Unlinked anonymous testing for HIV and syphilis of sample men and women at select STD clinics during the sentinel surveillance period.	1998–2010 (Annual)	Many	District
	HSS-HRG	Unlinked anonymous testing for HIV and syphilis of sample HRGs at service or satellite points during the sentinel surveillance period. Limited behavioural information on sexual and injection patterns collected.	1998–2010 (Annual)	Most states by 2010	District
Facility-based data	National programme for the prevention of patent-to-child transmission (PPTCT)	HIV testing in pregnant women attending all ANC clinics, throughout the year. Self-reported route of transmission collected.	2007–2010 (Routine)^‡	All	Subdistrict
	National programme for integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTC)^*	HIV testing in men and women (from all risk groups) in ICTCs. Self-reported route of transmission collected.	2007–2010 (Routine)^‡	All	Subdistrict
	National programme for antiretroviral treatment (pre-ART/ART)	Registration data of men and women preregistered for or receiving ART. CD-4 counts collected.	2007–2010 (Routine)^‡	All	Subdistrict
Integrated behavioural & biological surveys	Integrated Behavioral and Biological Assessment (IBBA)	Repeat cross-sectional survey of high-risk and bridge populations. Collects extensive information on biological (HIV, syphilis, CT, NG and HSV2 infection), behavioural (such as condom use, HIV testing, number of clients/partners) and enabling environment (such as violence incidents and membership in collectives) parameters.	Round 1 (2004–2008) Round 2 (2006–2010)	6 High prevalence states	District
	General Population Survey (GPS)	Repeat cross-sectional survey of general population adults that collects extensive biological (HIV, CT, NG, syphilis and HSV2) and behavioural parameters relevant to HIV/AIDS.	Round 1 (2005–2008) Round 2 (2009–2010)	6 High prevalence states	District
	National Family Health Survey round 3 (NFHs-3)	Household-based survey of adult population. Collects information on awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS, self-reported STD, and high-risk behaviour and tests subset of the population for HIV.	2005–2006	All (HIV in 6 priority states only)	State
	Community prevalence of STDs in Tamil Nadu	Cross-sectional survey of adult general population that collects information on high-risk behaviours, STD syndromes, treatment sources and biological (syphilis, NG, CT, Chanchroid, HepB, HIV, Trichomoniasis infection) parameters.	Round 1 (1998) Round 2 (2003–2004)	Tamil Nadu	State
Behavioural surveys	High-risk behaviour surveillance survey (BSS) in Tamil Nadu	Repeat cross-sectional survey of general population, HRGs and clients of sex workers, information on awareness and knowledge of HIV/AIDS, high-risk behaviour and intervention exposure is collected.	11 Rounds in urban areas (1996–2006), four rounds in rural areas (1998–2006)	Tamil Nadu	State
	High-risk BSS in Pondicherry		6 Rounds (2000–2006)	Tamil Nadu	State
	BSS in Maharashtra		4 Rounds (2000, 2004, 2006, 2008)	Maharashtra	State
	National BSS		Round 1 (2001) Round 2 (2006) Round 3 (2009)	All	State
	Behavioural Tracking Survey (BTS)	Repeat cross-sectional survey with HRGs that collects information on typology, high-risk behaviour, and enabling environment.	Round 1 (2007–2010)	6 High prevalence states	District
	Polling-Booth Surveys (PBS) and Informal Confidential Voting Interview (ICVI)	Repeat cross-sectional survey with HRGs that collects information on risk behaviours through anonymous methods.	Annual	6 High prevalence states	District
Size estimation	Urban mapping & size estimation of HRGs	Estimating the size and field-based mapping of HRGs in urban areas.	2003–2005 (BMGF) 2007–2009 (NACO)	6 High prevalence states 20	Town
Size estimation	Rural mapping & size estimation of HRGs	Estimating the size and field-based mapping of HRGs in rural areas.	2007–2009	19	Village
AIDS mortality	Million Death Study	Nationality representative survey of deaths of children and adults conducted in 1.1 million homes using verbal autopsy instrument.	2001–2003	All	State
Non-HIV specific data	Census data	Demographic and socio-cultural data on all residents of India.	2001, 2010	All	Town/village
Non-HIV specific data	District Level Health Survey	Repeat cross-sectional household-based survey. Information on maternal and child health, family planning, reproductive services and awareness of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections collected.	Round 1 (1998–1999) Round 2 (2002–2004) Round 3 (2007–2008)	All	District

Only repeat and large-scale surveys included. All, except PBS/ICVI, also collect demographic data.
↵* This excludes pregnant women, which are captured in the PPTCT programme.
↵† In last round of survey.
↵‡ Although PPTCT and ICTC programmes started in 2001 and ART in 2004, adequate data for analysis of HIV prevalence are only from 2007 onwards.
ANC, antenatal care; BMGF, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; CT, Chlamydia; HRG, high-risk group; HSV2, Herpes simplex virus 2; NACO, National AIDS Control Organization; NG, Neisseria gonorrhoea; STD, sexually transmitted disease.