Led by Dr. Sharon Weir, MEASURE Evaluation, and Professor Peter Figueroa, University of the West Indies, Jamaica.
Presentation on the PLACE method and how it has been used for HIV/STI surveillance, behavioral surveillance, program monitoring, size estimation of most-at-risk populations, and program planning.
What’s Next?Practical Implementation Lessons from the Partnership for HIV-Fr...
Using the PLACE Method to Inform Decision Making
1. Using the PLACE Method to
Inform Decision Making
Sharon S Weir, University of North Carolina
J Peter Figueroa, University of the West Indies, Jamaica
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4. Agenda
• Welcome and introductions
• The importance of data-informed decision
making
• Overview of the PLACE approach
• PLACE in Jamaica
• Questions and answers
• Wrap up
5. Why data-informed decision
making?
Pressing need to target health
policies, strategies, & interventions
to the populations that need them
the most
6. “… without information, things are done
arbitrarily and one becomes unsure of
whether a policy or program will fail or
succeed. If we allow our policies to be guided
by empirical facts and data, there will be a
noticeable change in the impact of what we
do.”
National-level Policymaker, Nigeria
7. Using the PLACE Method to
Inform Decision Making
Sharon S Weir, University of North Carolina
J Peter Figueroa, University of the West Indies, Jamaica
8. PLACE Countries: Past and Present
Kazakhstan
Karaganda
Almaty
Russia
Kyrgyzstan Saratov-Engels
Samara China
Uzbekistan Osh Liuzhou
St. Petersburg
Tashkent
Mexico
Chetumal
Ciudad Hidalgo Burkina Faso India
Banfora Bhubaneswar
DR Congo
Haiti Tenkodogo
Jamaica Carrefour Burundi Rwanda
All parishes
All 12 provinces
Guyana Uganda
Kenya
All 8 provinces
St. Lucia Ghana Tanzania
Castries All 10 regions Angola Magu
Malawi
Gros Islet Luanda Madagascar
Anse la Raye
Zimbabwe 7 cities
Zambia Hwange District
Mongu
Kapiri Mposhi
South Africa Lesotho
2 townships in Port Elizabeth Ficksburg, Maseru, Maputsoe,
East London Ladybrand, Fouriesburg, Butha
1 Township in Cape Town Buthe
9. Global Recommendation
for PLACE
“Use innovative methods (PLACE,
key informant interviews) to
estimate the size and location of
relevant key populations by
country.”
Key Population Working Group
Presentation to PEPFAR’s
Scientific Advisory Board
Washington, DC, October 2-3,
2012
Mead Over, Center for Global
Development
10. Problem Addressed by PLACE:
Preventing HIV transmission at the
local level
The PLACE method addresses the need for
rapidly available information to target and monitor
local AIDS prevention strategically.
11. PLACE Argument
The HIV pandemic is worldwide but transmission occurs in
local epidemics
Prevention should focus in geographic areas where HIV
incidence is highest
No two local HIV epidemics are the same. Each local HIV
epidemic reflects its unique underlying pattern of new and
concurrent sexual and needle sharing partnerships. National
and provincial data may hide local epidemics.
In the absence of empiric data on the geographic distribution
of HIV incidence and number of new infections, national
stakeholders can thoughtfully interpret available information to
identify where HIV incidence is high.
12. PLACE Argument
Interrupting HIV transmission requires focusing on people with
high rates of new sexual or needle sharing contacts.
Effective prevention among these individuals must be multi-
level, using tailored “combination prevention” to reduce their
partnership rates, increase testing, treatment, referral and
counseling for HIV/STI, and condom use.
The PLACE method identifies venues and events where local
intervention programs can reach the most important sexual and
injecting drug use networks.
Although outreach to these places can be expensive, outreach
is cost-effective if chains of transmission are broken.
13. PLACE protocol overview: The 5
Steps
1 Using available data, identify geographic areas likely
to have high incidence of HIV infection
2- 4 Conduct rapid assessment in each area
2 Identify venues where people meet new partners
3 Visit, characterize, map venues
4 Assess risk behavior & estimate prevalence
though interviews/testing of venue patrons & workers
5 Use results to improve programs
14. Step 2: Within High Incidence Areas,
Ask Community Informants: Where do people
meet new partners?
Probe based on strata of interest for mixing
Young women and older men
Commercial sex workers
Mobile and resident populations
Military and civilian
Ask until no new venues are found
Output: List of venues with number times
reported
15. Step 3: Visit, characterize and map
places
Reported places are visited and mapped. An interview is
conducted with a knowledgeable person on-venue to
obtain characteristics of the place
A place can be an establishment such as a bar, an
outdoor site such as a park or street, an event such as a
community festival, an internet site, or a phone number—
such as for escort services.
Mapping can be done by hand, onto an aerial photo, or
using GPS
16. Characteristics of places / venues
Obtained from interviewing a knowledgeable person at the venue
To Gauge Prevention To describe patrons of venues
Program Coverage and
Potential at Venues Male:female ratio
Type of venue Regular patrons
Condom availability Where patrons reside
Evidence of AIDS Whether patrons include
prevention commercial sex workers, gay,
Busy times military, mobile, youth, locals,
Maximum occupancy unemployed
Number of staff Whether people meet new
partners at venue
Venue stability
17. Step 4: Interview and test people
at places
Opinion: Socio-demographic &
behavioral characteristics
Do other people
come here to meet Number of new and
new partners? total partners in the
past four weeks, year
Behavior: Condom use
Have YOU ever met Exposure to
a new partner at this intervention
venue?
Have YOU ever Test for HIV & other STI
injected?
19. Collaboration re PLACE in Jamaica
2002 PLACE Montego Bay
2003 PLACE roll out Kingston, Negril
2005-06 PLACE RCT Kingston
2006 PLACE roll out island wide
Caribbean study tour
Technical assistance to St Lucia
2008 PLACE Survey
2012 PLACE Survey
20. Impact of PLACE in Jamaica
Improved Surveillance of MARPS
Identified staff and patrons at venues as high risk via PLACE
Showed the continued high prevalence of other STIs
Improved the tracking of HIV & risk factors among MARPs
Improved interventions
Significantly increased access & outreach to MARPs
Developed the scope and expertise of our outreach staff
Spearheaded outreach HIV and STI testing/ youth
Increased used of data to guide planning & interventions
Helped us to refine our outreach interventions
Convinced policy makers of need to retain field staff
Showed the importance of social vulnerability
Improved monitoring & evaluation
Helped to reduce HIV prevalence among sex workers from 9% to 4.5%
21.
22. Method Adapted to Jamaica’s
Needs
Survey questions developed to meet program
needs, to meet global reporting requirements, to
parallel questions asked previously and
questions asked in national KAPB survey, and to
meet requests from stakeholders (to extent
possible)
HIV+ persons enrolled in national treatment and
care program
STI treated at no charge to participants
23. HIV and STI Infections Measured
HIV (rapid tests)
Syphilis Testing (multiple tests used)
Gonorrhea
Chlamydia
Trichomoniasis Gen-Probe laboratory equipment
Women: urine or vaginal swab (acceptability)
24. Data Use: PLACE provided prevention indicators for
female sex workers
Indicator 2011
Condom use at last sex with a 91%
client
Knowledge of how to prevent HIV 38%
(5 questions)
Knowledge of how to prevent HIV 52%
omitting one faithful partner option
Reached with prevention program 92%
HIV tested in past 12 months and 75%
know result
24
25. Future Needs
Complete Institutionalization of PLACE in the Ministry & Health Regions in
Jamaica
Consolidate the outreach intervention approaches
Follow-up the cohorts of MSM and sex workers
Need to use anal swabs with MSM
Develop & evaluate more effective interventions for MSM
Additional analyses and publications
Review the Modes of Transmission model & HIV treatment cascade
Need to address other STIs especially among the youth
Maintain STI testing capacity using GenProbe
Gonorrhoea sensitivity testing
Share these methods, approaches and lessons with other Caribbean countries
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29. The research presented here has been supported by the
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)
through the United States Agency for International
Development (USAID) under the terms of MEASURE
Evaluation cooperative agreement GHA-A-00-08-00003-
00. Views expressed are not necessarily those of
PEPFAR, USAID or the United States government.
MEASURE Evaluation is implemented by the Carolina
Population Center at the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill in partnership with Futures Group, ICF
International, John Snow, Inc., Management Sciences for
Health, and Tulane University.