Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved
Volume 27, Issue 3, 2016, Pages 1316-1329

HIV/AIDS among African immigrants in the U.S.: The need for disaggregating HIV surveillance data by country of birth (Article)

Koku E.F.* , Rajab-Gyagenda W.M. , Korto M.D. , Morrison S.D. , Beyene Y. , Mbajah J. , Ashton C.
  • a Department of Sociology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, United States
  • b Islamic University, Uganda
  • c Office of Minority Health Resource Center, Washington, DC, United States
  • d Department of Public Health Education, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, United States
  • e Institute of Health and Aging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, United States
  • f Washington, DC, United States
  • g Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, Portland, United States

Abstract

The goals of the United States’ National HIV/AIDS Strategy are reducing HIV infections, increasing linkage to care, and reducing health disparities. To accomplish these, it is imperative to have accurate data about HIV prevalence, especially in high-burden populations, including immigrants, ethnic/racial minorities and other minority populations. However, recent increases in HIV prevalence among Black migrants from sub-Saharan Africa has drawn attention to the need to examine the epidemiological diversity of the Black population, and accurately account for HIV prevalence within it. In most HIV surveillance data, a single category, Black/African American, is used to combine data for U.S.-born and foreign-born Blacks, including migrants from sub-Saharan Africa. Such categorizations result in under-estimation of HIV prevalence in the African immigrant population, making it difficult to allocate resources appropriately for HIV prevention and treatment. This paper highlights and provides recommendations regarding the importance of disaggregating HIV surveillance data on Blacks by country of birth. © Meharry Medical College.

Author Keywords

Data disaggregation Section 4302 (ACA) HIV surveillance African-born African immigrants

Index Keywords

information processing immigrant HIV Infections Africa south of the Sahara Human immunodeficiency virus infection human epidemiology statistics and numerical data Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ethnology African American Public Health Surveillance Human immunodeficiency virus prevalence procedures United States Humans migrant Emigrants and Immigrants Socioeconomic Factors Africa socioeconomics standards human experiment acquired immune deficiency syndrome African Americans Data Collection health survey
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84981295703&doi=10.1353%2fhpu.2016.0128&partnerID=40&md5=cf10f8003f9c84936779765e41fa44eb
DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2016.0128
ISSN: 10492089
Cited by: 8
Original Language: English