The CEEISCAT participates in the Annual Meeting of the Spanish Society of Epidemiology around the "Challenges of the 21st century"

One more year, the Spanish Society of Epidemiology (SEE) has organized its annual congress, this year in Donostia (Euskadi), where more than 800 people have participated at the University of the Basque Country/Euskal Herriko Unibersitatea (UPV/EHU). The Center for Epidemiological Studies on Sexually Transmitted Infections and AIDS of Catalonia (CEEISCAT), as a research group of the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), presented a total of 19 oral communications in their respective fields of work and moderated two oral communication sessions and presented a poster. In addition, Dr. Jordi Casabona, as the director of the center, was invited to make a presentation on the Monkeypox virus.

The “Escoles Sentinella” network proves the safety of schools concerning COVID-19 and presents the results of the second year of the project at the project congress

- "Escoles Sentinella" has identified areas and methodologies for improvement that can be incorporated into policies to prevent infections with SARS-CoV-2 and other pathogens in the coming years.

- The "Escoles Sentinella" network monitors SARS-CoV-2 infection and its determinants in the school environment, including CO₂ levels in classrooms, through a participatory research approach by the educational community and incorporating participants' recommendations. 

The RIGHT PLUS Network presents the results of the LAMIS study on sexual health in gay men and MSN in Latin America

The RIGHT PLUS Network has presented the executive summary of the Latin American MSM (men who have sex with men) Internet Survey (LAMIS-20218), in which 64,655 men who have sex with men in Latin America responded to a questionnaire on physical and mental health. The CEEISCAT (Centre for Epidemiological Studies of Sexually Transmitted Disease and AIDS in Catalonia), a research group at the IGTP is part of the international consortium Coalition Plus, which carried out LAMIS-18.

CEEISCAT researchers coordinate a project identifying the risk factors for severe covid-19 for people living with HIV

A study coordinated by researchers of the Centre for Epidemiological Studies of Sexually Transmitted Disease and AIDS in Catalonia (CEEISCAT) a research group affiliated with and based at the Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP) publish a paper in the HIV Lancet showing the risk factors for suffering severe covid-19 for people living with HIV in Catalonia. The results show that people living with HIV at the same time as other chronic diseases and unsuppressed viral loads have a higher risk of suffering severe covid-19 and should be given priority for testing, medical management and vaccination programmes to protect against SARS-CoV-2.

The Sentinel School Project trials two new strategies to detect covid-19 infections in schools

The two strategies aim to test new approaches to screening for SARS-CoV-2 infections and improve detection in schools. The project is coordinated by CEEISCAT, as a research group at the IGTP and promoted by the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education of the Government of Catalonia.

An electronic alert for primary healthcare will make improved HIV testing possible

Researchers from the IDIAP Jordi Gol Foundation, CEEISCAT and the IGTP have shown that a strategy to improve early detection of HIV by primary healthcare providers is effective. When a patient is diagnosed with an illness or group of symptoms which could be related to HIV, an alert appears on the screen of the doctor attending in the form of a pop-up, which recommends a blood test. The results of the project, which have been presented at the international conference HepHIV, show that primary healthcare centres with the system in place are detecting 50% more positive cases than those which don't.

The CEEISCAT team coordinate the Sentinel Schools Project in Catalonia

In February the project started on-site in 7 of a total of 26 primary schools and high schools that are taking part in the Sentinel Schools Study. The project is being set up and coordinated by the CEEISCAT, a research group at the IGTP that aims to monitor and evaluate the covid-19 pandemic in schools in Catalonia in order to be able to design health and education policies for the immediate future.

The online HIV test TESTATE joins Hepatitis C screening

The online platform TESTATE (Testyourself) developed by CEEISCAT, has proved very successful in the promotion of the HIV test with a 94% of positive cases following treatment. In a pilot study this system of online request for tests will include the test for the Hepatitis C virus for a thousand users of the platform. The platform allows the centralization of screening strategies in a group vulnerable to infection by this virus to achieve the elimination of the disease as a public health problem in line with WHO objectives

Scientists from CEEISCAT to update HIV epidemiological surveillance protocols for Latin America and the Caribbean

The CEEISCAT, a research group led by Dr Jordi Casabona and affiliated with the IGTP, has been commissioned by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to update the epidemiological surveillance protocols for HIV in Latin America and the Caribbean. The objective is to draw up a new epidemiological surveillance, and monitoring and evaluation protocol for HIV infection. With this new guide the international recommendations can be adapted to the different regions of Latin America, establishing basic concepts and clarifying the quality regulations that reinforce epidemiological surveillance.

The CEEISCAT coordinates the writing of the EMIS-2017 report for Spain

A group of researchers affiliated to the IGTP have coordinated the implementation of the EMIS-2017 studies for Spain. More than 10,000 men who have sex with men (MSM) participated in the EMIS-2017 Study in Spain through an online questionnaire, which collected information about knowledge, behaviours and the collective needs of gay me, bisexuals and other MSM, both in general and in subgroups with greater vulnerability in terms of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).