SHM is assigned by the Dutch Minister of Health to monitor HIV in the Netherlands and to contribute to the quality of HIV care. The acknowledgement by the Dutch government of the importance of a national HIV/AIDS monitoring system contributes to the knowledge of the effect of lifelong treatment of HIV in the Netherlands and in the EU. As a result, SHM is involved in HIV/AIDS care and prevention policy discussions within the European Union.
International cooperation
SHM collaborates with other research groups and observational cohorts in Western-Europe, the US and Canada. The foundation provides expertise and data to be used for large international studies about the treatment of HIV/AIDS. SHM is in a position to do so as it is one of the very few organisations in the world that represents an observational clinical cohort that is truly nationwide. SHM also cooperates with the London-based Imperial College in making mathematical models to predict the course of the HIV epidemic in the Netherlands. SHM is regarded the “gold standard” for HIV monitoring by the World Health Organization (WHO).
International collaborations in which SHM is involved:
ACHIEV2E
ACHIEV2E (A Collaboration on HIV-2 Infection) was set up in 2005 to collect demographic and clinical data of patients infected with HIV-2.
» More about ACHIEV2E
ART-CC
ART-CC (Antiretroviral Therapy Cohort Collaboration) is a long-standing international collaboration set up to carry out prognostic studies to assess the effect of cART in therapy-naive patients.
» More about ART-CC
CASCADE
This collaboration started in 1997 with the primary aim of monitoring the entire course of HIV infection, in both newly-infected individuals and those already enrolled in studies.
» More about CASCADE
COBRA
This fairly recent study focuses on whether reported comorbidities are more common and possibly occur at a younger age in HIV-infected persons than in non HIV-infected persons.
» More about COBRA
COHERE
This large-scale collaboration project conducts epidemiological research into the prognosis and treatment outcome of HIV-infected individuals throughout Europe, including pregnant women.
» More about COHERE
D:A:D Study
This prospective multi-cohort study focuses on early recognition of adverse events that may be related to HIV treatment with antiretroviral agents.
» More about D:A:D
DIDE
In the scientific collaboration between the Department of Infectious Disease and Epidemiology (DIDE) of Imperial College London and SHM, in place since 2002, DIDE provides SHM with statistical and mathematical support.
» More about DIDE
ECDC
ECDC works in partnership with national health protection bodies across Europe to strengthen and develop continent-wide disease surveillance and early warning systems. By working with experts throughout Europe, ECDC pools Europe's health knowledge to develop authoritative scientific opinions about the risks posed by current and emerging infectious diseases. » More about ECDC
EPPICC
EPPICC carries out epidemiological research throughout Europe into the prognosis and outcomes of HIV-infected pregnant women and children, and children who are exposed to HIV in utero.
» More about EPPICC
EuroCoord
EuroCoord is a large integrated network that exploits the scientific strengths of each collaboration to ensure that the best, most competitive HIV research is performed.
» More about EuroCoord
EuroSIDA
EuroSIDA is a prospective observational cohort study of more than 18791 patients followed in 37 European countries plus Israel and Argentina. The main objective is to follow the long-term clinical prognosis for the general population of HIV-infected patients living in Europe and to assess the impact of antiretroviral drugs on the long-term prognosis for these patients. » More about EuroSIDA
HIV-CAUSAL
The HIV-CAUSAL collaboration is a multinational collaboration of prospective studies of HIV-infected individuals from six European countries and the United States. It aims to answer three questions: three main questions: when to start antiretroviral therapy, what antiretroviral regime to use initially, and when to switch to another regime.
HIV in Europe is a pan-European initiative that started in Brussels in 2007. It offers a European platform for exchange and activities that aim to improve early diagnosis and earlier treatment of HIV in Europe.
» More about HIV in Europe
ieDEA
IeDEA is a large-scale integrated project funded by the European Commission 7th Framework program. It involves 21 partner institutions from 6 European and 5 African countries.
» More about IeDEA
RDI
RDI is a small research team in the United Kingdom, linked to an international scientific advisory group and a network of collaborators and supporters.
» More about RDI
