Grant-Health Dept for elimination of Syphilis 10-19-1999 - 9e

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11 a) By January, 1999, all community-based organizations offering HIV counseling and - testing in the five-county area will offer and encourage syphilis serologic testing to clients requesting HIV tests. ~ - b) By May, 1999, each outreach worker will provide: weekly risk-reduction sessions at the local jail, provide one-on-one outreach to individuals. at risk for syphilis in the community for 8 hours per week and document the establishment of condom distribution sites which are accessible to at-risk persons. c) By June, 1999, the new RLO.T. team led by the project coordinator will be ready to mobilize when needed for new outbreak-s. ~ . d) By September, 1999, 7~% of individuals who are in local jails more than 24 hours will receive a serologic test for syphilis. 6. Evaluate the achievements of the syphilis~elimination project through its impact on reported primary and secondary syphilis morbidity, with a goal of _< 1 ~ cases/I00,000 population in the five-county target area in the year 2000 (rates in 1997 were 26:? cases/100,000), and on prevalences of syphilis in local jails, health department prenatal~clinies, and health department STD clinics. Specific goals will depend on baseline prevalences, which are not currently Imown. METHOI?S 1. Community Assessment North Cazalina. will request that CDC allow a federal employee (GS-12) who is currently assi~ied to the state to become a special projects ofncer for the project. This individual will coorainate and provide direct oversight to the project, and develop and implement data collection for project evaluation. The community assessment teams will be comprised of the project coordinator, a county health educator and a local DIS in each county; teams will conduct rapid community assessments in the high morbiaity azeas of Forsyth, Alamance, Orange, and Durham Counties. The rapid community assessment tool developed by 3o Valentine (CDC) and implemented recently in Guilford County will be used. State and local DIS have demonstrated their ability to successfully perform this assessment in Guilford Count3~. Information on syphilis clinical services available in each county ~nll be collected by the coordinator, assisted by local DIS. This infaimation will include availability and utilization of syphilis screening in local jails and drug treatment centers. These assessments will allow characterization of the local population at high risk for syphilis, local factors promoting syphilis transmission, and local barriers to s~~philis dia.`~nosis, treatment, anal prevention. Data analysis will be assisted by state and federal staff familiar u*ith epidemiologic analyses. Each county's surveillance system for syphilis will be evaluated by the project coordinator and local DIS, assisted by state staff.. This evaluation will include assessing the sensitivity of the current s3>stem by contacting local clinical service providers that serve high-risk populations and 6