Strengthening capacity to use data to inform HIV responses for key populations

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria 2017–2021 (Global Fund) strategy and U. S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) 3.0 have highlighted the need for data to inform an effective global HIV response. Key populations—sex workers, gay men and other men who have sex with men, transgender people, incarcerated populations, and people who use drugs—have a disproportionate HIV burden. Yet it has been difficult to understand their prevention and treatment needs in the context of generalized epidemics where less attention has been placed on these groups. Moreover, available data on these populations are often not cited in policy documents that inform the content and scale of HIV programming.

This brief summarizes an activity Project SOAR has undertaken to synthesize data on key populations and strengthen the capacity of stakeholders to effectively use these data to inform programming.