HIV surveillance in the Netherlands

The number of people infected with HIV in the Netherlands is estimated to be between twelve and eighteen thousand. The current system of HIV surveillance intends to identify relevant changes in the prevalence of HIV infection within the known high-risk groups, as well as any spread of HIV infection into the general population. In addition to reporting individual cases to the Health Care Inspectorate, the ‘official’ surveillance system, as financed by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, involves monitoring the prevalence of HIV infection among those presenting at STD clinics in Amsterdam and Rotterdam, among pregnant women seen at four locations (two hospitals, a midwife practice and an abortion clinic in Amsterdam) and among intravenous drugs users in various Dutch cities.