Dear Colleagues,

We apologise once again for the delay in publishing the 2020 AIM software. The software can now be downloaded at: https://www.avenirhealth.org/software-spectrum.php. When you are on the website, please look for the AIM Releases heading and then the version AIM 2020 5.86.

Once you have downloaded the software, you can begin to revise your estimates for 2020. As in previous years, we are attaching documentation to help you to do this. The Basic Steps guide (for experienced users) provides you with a reminder of the high-level steps that are required to revise and finalise your file. The Quick Start guide, which provides more detailed instructions, is attached in English. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact your in-country, regional or headquarters UNAIDS support team copied on this email.

As a reminder, this year you will not need to submit estimates or progress on 90-90-90 by broad age and sex groupings to GAM. Instead, you can report on 90-90-90 through the HIV estimates process and these results will be uploaded to GAM for publication upon approval by your country team lead. Please review carefully the programme data for previous years in particular (2010-2018) and correct or add where these figures are available. If you have questions about these indicators check the GAM guidelines https://www.unaids.org/en/resources/documents/2019/Global-AIDS-Monitoring.

Also, please remember that you can access your final 2019 Spectrum file and submit your draft and final 2020 files at: https://unaids.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/FSSIE/EjDF31REmOdFjGNhQ8f245MB4o4C_pRDCI_jlGMSx-rUiA?e=GdUN4U

For all countries, the timeline for review and submission of files has been slightly revised:

28 February – Country teams send updated, draft Spectrum files (with updated estimates calculated including 2019 ART and PMTCT data and any new surveillance data). Send files to UNAIDS (estimates@unaids.org) or upload to shared folder. 

13 March – UNAIDS sends comments on the draft files back to country teams. 

27 March – Country teams send final spectrum file to UNAIDS and sends GAM focal point extracted data required for GAM. 

31 March – Global AIDS Monitoring submitted through aidsreportingonline tool. 

17 April – UNAIDS sends excel sheet with estimates and request for sign off to directors of national HIV programmes 

30 April – Deadline for countries to approve estimates  

The persons nominated to approve your country’s estimate are Otar Chokoshvili (ochokoshvili@gmail.com) and Ekaterine Ruadze (eruadze@gmail.com; e.ruadze@ncdc.ge). Please let us know if these are not the correct persons.

Best wishes,

UNAIDS HIV Estimates Team