Millennium development goal 6 and HIV infection in Zambia: what can we learn from successive household surveys?

Background: Geographic location represents an ecological measure of HIV status and is a strong predictor of HIV prevalence. Given the complex nature of location effects, there is limited understanding of their impact on policies to reduce HIV prevalence.

Methods: Participants were 3949 and 10 874 respondents from two consecutive Zambia Demographic and Health Surveys from 2001/2007 (mean age for men and women: 30.

Measurement of HIV prevention indicators: a comparison of the PLACE method and a household survey in Zambia.

Reaching populations at greatest risk for acquiring HIV is essential for efforts to combat the epidemic. This paper presents, the Priorities for Local AIDS Control Efforts (PLACE) method which focuses on understanding the venues where people are meeting new sexual partners and behaviors which put people at risk. A comparison of data from two PLACE studies in Zambia with a national household survey, the Zambia Sexual Behavior Survey 2005, indicated that the PLACE population was at greater risk of acquiring HIV.