Positive evaluation for Amsterdam Cohort Studies

An international Scientific Advisory Committee (SEC), led by Chairman Prof. A. Hofman of Erasmus MC in Rotterdam, visited Amsterdam on 23 January 2013 to review the Amsterdam Cohort Studies (ACS).

The ACS focuses on HIV infection among men having sex with men and drug users and includes both HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals. This review was requested by the main funder of the Amsterdam Cohort Studies, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM). Both the scientific achievements of the past 5 years and the scientific plans for the future were examined.

In February, the SEC sent its evaluation report, which was a strong endorsement of the ACS. The major conclusions from the SEC are:

1. The SEC congratulates the ACS with the achievements realised. The scientific output is both quantitatively and qualitatively high.
2. The SEC values the ACS as a unique and internationally very important prospective cohort study, particularly because of its emphasis on HIV-negative participants and long-term follow-up.
3. Overall, the SEC assesses the research issues of the ACS to be well positioned to answer major questions and provide major contributions.

The SEC recommended the continued funding of the ACS. Following this positive evaluation, the RIVM has therefore decided to continue funding the ACS. The ACS project leaders proposed, based on research plans and the state of the epidemic in the Netherlands, that the group of HIV-negative men having sex with men should be enlarged over the next years and that follow-up of the group of drug users can be reduced. The SEC agreed to these suggestions and these changes will be implemented from 2014 onwards.

The ACS is part of Stichting HIV Monitoring and is financially supported by the Centre for Infectious Disease Control of the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and Environment (CIb-RIVM). Prof. Maria Prins of the GGD Amsterdam contributed to this article.

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Stichting HIV Monitoring

Stichting HIV Monitoring (SHM) makes an essential contribution to healthcare for HIV-positive people in the Netherlands. Working with all recognised HIV treatment centres in the Netherlands, SHM systematically collects coded medical data from all registered HIV patients. SHM uses these data to produce centre-specific reports that allow HIV treatment centres to optimise their patient care and obtain formal certification. SHM’s data also form the basis for the yearly HIV monitoring report and are used in HIV-related research in the Netherlands and internationally. The outcome of SHM’s research provides tangible input into HIV care and prevention polices in the Netherlands.

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