HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES 

HIV SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS

WHEREAS, the Centers for Disease Control intends to issue guidelines recommending that all states adopt a name-based HIV surveillance system; and

WHEREAS, we support the development of HIV surveillance systems, but believe that state public health officials must be free to choose their own HIV surveillance systems based on the needs of their own communities and the best judgement of state and local public health officials; and

WHEREAS, states self determination has long been the hallmark of our nation’s public health efforts and disease surveillance strategies; and

WHEREAS, legitimate concerns exist regarding the deterrent effect of names reporting on voluntary testing and treatment among high risk populations,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Centers for Disease Control must be directed to conduct well-designed, published scientific research on surveillance systems and names reporting; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Center for Disease Control should issue guidelines that offer states flexibility to develop HIV surveillance systems, supporting the development of name- or non-name based systems, and only after such scientific research is completed; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that federal resources must be distributed equitably to support a range of state determined surveillance systems.