Integrated Behavioral and Biological Surveillance among PLHIV & HRG

Mar 20, 2026

A hybrid Continuing Medical Education (CME) program on Integrated Behavioral and Biological Surveillance among People Living with HIV (PLHIV) and High-Risk Groups (HRG) was conducted on 20th March 2026 by the Dept. of Community Medicine, KSHEMA in collaboration with ICMR-National Institute of Epidemiology, witnessing participation from 116 delegates representing 36 institutes across 15 states/UTs (Union Territories), reflecting strong national relevance and engagement.

The program aimed to enhance understanding of integrated surveillance approaches, strengthen capacity in HIV epidemiological monitoring, foster collaboration between academic and public health institutions and provide a platform for knowledge exchange. Expert-led sessions covered principles and methodologies of integrated surveillance, behavioral and biological frameworks, data interpretation and field-level challenges, with insightful talks by Dr. Elangovan Arumugam on PLHIV surveillance and Dr. Santhakumar Aridoss on HRG surveillance.

A panel discussion on the role of bio-behavioral surveillance in targeted HIV prevention & care, moderated by Dr. Rahul Hegde, encouraged active participant interaction, while a postgraduate quiz involving 53 delegates added an engaging academic component with cash awards for top performers.