Using surveillance data for action: lessons learnt from the second generation HIV/AIDS surveillance project in Pakistan

Although many countries are now collecting useful, high-quality HIV surveillance data, more efforts are put into the collection of data than into ensuring it is deployed effectively. The Canada-Pakistan HIV/ AIDS surveillance project has strengthened and expanded the existing national AIDS control programme surveillance system in Pakistan through a comprehensive estimate of the size and location of some of the most at-risk populations [sex workers and injection drug users] and annual assessments of their sociodemographic characteristics, behaviours and HIV prevalence. The country now uses second generation surveillance data at a broad level to lobby for policy change, mobilize resources, improve programming and measure the success of prevention through an integrated national effort. This article aims to share the experiences and lessons learnt in the development of a second generation surveillance system for HIV/AIDS in Pakistan

Maternal anaemia and its impact on perinatal outcome in a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan

Maternal anaemia is a common problem in pregnancy, particularly in developing countries. We investigated the relationship between maternal anaemia and perinatal outcome in a cohort of 629 pregnant women from October 2001 to 2002. Of these, 313 were anaemic [haemoglobin < 11 g/L]. Perinatal outcomes included preterm delivery, low birth weight, intrauterine growth retardation, perinatal death, low Apgar scores and intrauterine fetal death. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed. The risk of preterm delivery and low birth weight among the anaemic women was 4 and 1.9 times more respectively than the non-anaemic women. The neonates of anaemic women also had 1.8 times increased risk having low Apgar scores at 1 minute and there was a 3.7 greater risk of intrauterine fetal death among the anaemic women than the non-anaemic women