A Manual for Early Warning Rapid Response Systems for HIV/AIDS

The United Nations Development Programme South East Asia HIV and Development Programme (UNDP-SEAHIV) has been in the process of developing an early warning rapid response system (EWRRS) since May 2000. At that time, a first workshop was held, and the system has continued to be developed through participating stakeholders in Cambodia, China, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Viet Nam. This manual is the result of this process. It describes how to design a response that can be implemented by development sectors in order to reduce HIV vulnerability and build community resilience.

In the area of HIV/AIDS, Early Warning Systems are generally conceived of within a health paradigm. The authors ask, "What is 'early warning' for HIV in a development paradigm? What is the equivalent of the coal miner’s canary in agriculture or infrastructure development: a drought, a change in crops, a new road or dam?" This manual seeks to explain the identification and analysis of such early warning signals. According to the authors, EWRRS needs to be set up with close collaboration between the AIDS authorities and those of the relevant sectors because of the cross-cutting interpretation needed in cases of HIV/AIDS.

According to the authors, "National and trans-national HIV/AIDS epidemics are the result of a number of mini epidemics, and as a result, EWRRS is useful even in areas where mature epidemics are constantly evolving. A new road, or a shift in migration patterns can cause an area previously unaffected by the epidemic to be engulfed in it or, if it was already affected, the area can be hit with a new wave."

Click here to access the manual in PDF format.