Since the early 2000s, surveillance of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in France has relied on mandatory reporting of HIV/AIDS, on HIV testing conducted by clinical laboratories, and on other sources, such as reimbursement data from the national health insurance system or data from hospital cohorts.

In 2024, Santé publique France commissioned an external evaluation of the objectives and methods of this HIV surveillance system and, as part of this effort, enlisted the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The main objectives of this evaluation were to:

• redefine the objectives of HIV surveillance;
• compare the objectives and the French HIV surveillance system with other European systems;
• identify opportunities for improvement;
• provide recommendations aimed at streamlining surveillance to increase efficiency and meet the needs of the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders.

A liaison committee was established following this evaluation.

The liaison committee is responsible, in particular, for gathering stakeholder input to improve the acceptability and relevance of changes to the HIV surveillance system that will be implemented by Santé publique France regarding:

• the objectives of the surveillance system
• virological surveillance
• mandatory reporting of AIDS
• mandatory reporting of deaths
• the variables collected and the expected features of the reporting tool provided
• Communication and feedback

• Organizations (Act Up, AIDES)
• National Agency for Scientific Research, Emerging Infectious Diseases (ANRS MIE)
• Regional Health Agency (ARS)
• National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
• National HIV Reference Center (CNR)
• National Council on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis
• Directorate General of Health (DGS)
• Faculty of Pharmacy (Paris)
• Hospitals (Béclère Hospital, Bichat Claude Bernard Hospital, Henri Mondor Hospital, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Bordeaux University Hospital, Martinique University Hospital, Guadeloupe University Hospital, Toulouse University Hospital, Nice University Hospital)
• National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)
• Private biological analysis laboratory
• Universities (Sorbonne Paris, Toulouse)

Epidemiological surveillance of blood donors is coordinated by Santé publique France, in partnership with the French Blood Establishment (EFS), the Armed Forces Blood Transfusion Center (CTSA), the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products (ANSM), and the National Reference Center for Transfusion-Related Infectious Risks (CNR RIT) until its dissolution at the end of 2022. Expertise on transfusion-associated infectious risks was then incorporated into the terms of reference of the main National Reference Centers (CNR) concerned (notably human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV/HCV), HAV/HEV, sexually transmitted infections, arboviruses, and malaria).

This surveillance makes it possible to track the prevalence of bloodborne infections, analyze new cases, identify potential new risk factors, and assess the residual risk of transmission of these infections through transfusion. Surveillance also contributes to the evaluation of donor screening and prevention policies.

An interface committee was established in 2003, bringing together all stakeholders involved in surveillance. Its objectives are to:

• strengthen coordination within the network of stakeholders involved in the epidemiological surveillance of blood donors to ensure the quality of the data collected, assist in their analysis and in the assessment of transfusion risks, and adapt surveillance to changing needs;
• lead supplementary studies to address current issues;
• conduct scientific monitoring of the epidemiology of bloodborne pathogens and transfusion risks.

This committee has provided support for the analysis and interpretation of blood donor surveillance data, as well as for monitoring the gradual expansion of blood donation eligibility to men who have sex with men (MSM), adapting post-donation questionnaires in line with changes in the laboratory tests performed on blood donations and donor selection criteria, and conducting specific surveys, among other initiatives.

• Biomedicine Agency
• National Agency for the Safety of Medicines and Health Products
• French Blood Establishment
• National Reference Centers
• Armed Forces Blood Transfusion Center
• General Directorate of Health

The epidemiological situation regarding the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remains a cause for concern among men who have sex with men (MSM): a stagnant number of new HIV diagnoses, high incidence of HIV and other STIs, a significant delay between infection and diagnosis, and a growing prevalence of the epidemic among the youngest and oldest age groups.

Numerous structural advances have taken place in recent years: the availability of rapid tests for HIV and HCV, the introduction of over-the-counter HIV self-tests, the creation of Free Centers for Information, Screening, and Diagnosis of HIV and STIs (CeGIDD), the availability of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), etc. All these advances have helped reshape the landscape of the fight against STIs and HIV among MSM.

To ensure the quality, relevance, and feasibility of Santé publique France’s prevention projects targeting MSM, a liaison committee was formed, comprising representatives of the stakeholders involved in this field.

• Organizations: Aides, Aremedia, Nice LGBTQIA+ Center, National Health Prevention Intervention Team (Enipse), HF Prévention Santé (National Association for Health Prevention), Le Kiosque, Objectif Sida Zero, Santé Inter-LGBT, Sidaction, Vers Paris sans Sida
• Regional Health Agency (ARS)
• College of General Practice (CMG)
• National Council on AIDS and Viral Hepatitis
• Regional Coordination for the Fight Against HIV (Corevih)
• General Directorate of Health (DGS)
• Hospitals (Lariboisière, Pitié Salpêtrière Saint-Louis)
• National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)
• Medical Biology Laboratory
• French Observatory on Drugs and Addiction Trends (OFDT)
• AIDS Information Service
• Universities (Paris Nanterre, Lyon 2)

One of the strategic objectives of Santé publique France’s “Perinatal and Early Childhood Health” program is to promote the health of pregnant women, their families, and young children.

The liaison committee that has been established is a transdisciplinary think tank focused on the Agency’s perinatal and early childhood strategy and the implementation of related actions. Its primary objectives include:

• sharing ideas and perspectives on the national “First 1,000 Days” program, in order to clarify the strategy’s positioning within a broader context;
• supporting the implementation of this strategy.

• Pasta with Butter
• Maman Blues
• French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics (AFPA)
• Breastfeeding Information Association (IPA)
• Association for the Prevention of Air Pollution (APPA)
• National Association of Certified Childcare Workers and Students (ANPDE)
• College of General Medicine (CMG)
• Inter-Association Collective for Birth (CIANE)
• National College of French Gynecologists and Obstetricians (CNGOF)
• National College of Midwives (CNSF)
• National Federation of Associations for Community-Based Family Support (FNAAFP)
• National Federation of Early Childhood Educators (FNEJE)
• French Federation of Perinatal Health Networks (FFRSP)
• Working Group on Early Childhood at the Association of Mayors of France (AMF)
• Scientific Interest Group “Infants and Young Children in Context” (BECO)
• Breastfeeding Information (IPA)
• Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (IHAB) – France
• National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)
• Francophone Society for Developmental Origins of Health (SF-DOHaD)
• Psychiatric Information Society (SIP)
• National Union of Maternal and Child Health Physicians (SNMPMI)
• National Federation of Foster Family and Childcare Provider Associations (UFNAFAAM)
• National Union of Family Associations (UNAF)

Addictive behaviors are responsible for numerous health and social harms. For example, tobacco and alcohol are among the top three causes of preventable death, accounting for 75,000 and 41,000 deaths per year in France, respectively. Their social cost is estimated at 120 billion euros annually. Santé publique France’s social marketing campaigns on these issues—targeted at the general public, young people, smokers, and users of alcohol or illicit drugs—are complemented by advocacy efforts aimed in particular at changing environments, as well as initiatives directed at healthcare professionals. Healthcare professionals play a crucial role in prevention, screening, referral, and treatment.

A liaison committee has been established to enable the agency to draw on its members’ experience in designing social marketing initiatives on addictions, targeting both the general public and healthcare professionals. This committee thus facilitates consultation with a diverse range of these professionals regarding the agency’s initiatives. Finally, when campaigns and tools are rolled out, the committee helps ensure the support of these partners and a more effective dissemination of Santé publique France’s initiatives by network leaders, associations, and organizations represented on the committee.

• Organizations: Addictions France, Alliance Against Tobacco, “I Don’t Smoke Anymore” Association, Avec Santé, Coordination of Recognized Public-Interest Mutual Aid Associations and Movements in France (CAMERUP), Red Cross, Entraide Addict, Network of Healthcare Facilities for Addiction Prevention (Respadd), Avenir Santé
• College of General Medicine
• National College of the Order of Nurses
• National Council of the Order of Physicians
• National Council of the Order of Pharmacists
• Addictions Federation
• Federation of Solidarity Organizations
• French Federation of Addiction Medicine
• Hospitals (Clermont-Ferrand, Nantes, Paul Brousse - APHP)
• Avenir Santé Health Insurance
• National Order of Nurses
• Presance, representative body for France’s Inter-Company Occupational Health and Safety Services
• French Society of Tobacco Control
• French Society of Alcohol Studies

The new dietary guidelines for specific populations (children, adolescents, people over 55, pregnant women, breastfeeding women, and postmenopausal women) were published in 2019 by the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety (ANSES), and were subsequently supplemented in 2021 by the High Council for Public Health with specific recommendations for these groups. Santé publique France is responsible for finalizing the design and wording of the updated recommendations for various age groups (pregnant and breastfeeding women, young children, children and adolescents, adults, and older adults), disseminating these new recommendations, and facilitating their implementation. The recommendations issued by Santé publique France regarding adults were published in 2019, those concerning the introduction of solid foods for young children in 2021, and those concerning children and adolescents in 2023.

This liaison committee is responsible for sharing participants’ experiential knowledge and practices with Santé publique France in order to guide the development of new recommendations regarding diet, physical activity, and sedentary behavior among people over the age of 75. 
The committee will also assist, as needed, in the planning and preparation of the qualitative and quantitative studies required to test the new nutritional messages with the target population: older adults and their caregivers.

• National Solidarity Fund for Independence
• Hospitals and other healthcare facilities: Boulogne-Billancourt Gerontology Center, Clermont-Ferrand University Hospital, Bichat and Beaujon Hospitals, and the Bretonneau Outpatient Center
• National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food, and the Environment
• Universities: Lille 3, Pau, and Pays de l’Adour
• City of Paris
• Association: Coalition to Combat Malnutrition

Santé publique France’s sexual health action plan is part of the “National Sexual Health Strategy – Agenda 2017–2030 ,” whose overall objective is to ensure “a state of physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being related to sexuality, from birth through old age, for the entire population.” The program is structured around three pillars:

1. promoting sexual health for everyone, at every age, through a comprehensive and positive approach,
2. improving knowledge of and access to a range of prevention strategies to combat HIV and other STIs,
3. improving reproductive health.

This liaison committee is responsible for sharing the experiential knowledge and practices of the participating stakeholders with Santé publique France, in order to guide the enhancement of the QuestionSexualité and Onsexprime initiatives, the development of brochures associated with the QuestionSexualité and Onsexprime initiatives, and to support Santé publique France in achieving the objectives set for the QuestionSexualité and Onsexprime initiatives.

• Scholarly societies and professional associations: Professional Association of Child Psychology and Psychopathology, National College of Midwives of France, Agricultural Education, Public Sexual Health Network, Adolescent Health and Development Network
• Organizations: Endofrance, Regional Center for AIDS Information and Prevention and Youth Health, French Movement for Family Planning, Solidarité Sida
• Sexual Health Organizations: Information Centers on Women’s and Families’ Rights, Resource Centers for Professionals Working with Perpetrators of Sexual Violence, Departmental Council, National Education System, Departmental Maternal and Child Protection Service, City of Paris
• Other organizations: National Institute for Youth and Popular Education, National Institute for Demographic Studies, National Institute of Health and Medical Research, Universities (Sorbonne Paris Nord, Strasbourg)

Bilingual health booklets serve as tools for communication between health and social service professionals and migrants. They are published regularly by Santé publique France and developed in collaboration with professionals and partner organizations, including the Committee for the Health of Exiles (COMEDE) and other network leaders. The previous edition was published in 2018.

The Interface Committee aims to bring together organizations and professionals with experience in the fields of health and prevention as they relate to exiles in order to:

• draw on their experiences working with the people concerned and gather feedback from professionals
• better identify the needs of professionals and those affected—needs that have evolved in recent years in terms of both content and format (digital, etc.)
• participate in the design and analysis of work conducted by Santé publique France in connection with the project (e.g., evaluation, pre-testing, etc.)
• jointly develop recommendations on the content and choice of formats (digital, print, etc.) for future booklets
• help identify writers based on the various topics covered in the booklets
• participate in proofreading to refine the content
• support the distribution of these resources through their field networks

• Regional Health Agencies (ARS)
• Organizations (Uraca Basiliade, Watizat, Migration Santé Alsace, Migration Santé France, Médecins du Monde, Réseau Louis Guilloux)
• Committee for the Health of Exiles (COMEDE)
• Federation of Solidarity Organizations
• National Federation of Solidarity Associations for Action with the Roma and Traveling People (Fnasat)
• Hospitals (Nancy University Hospital)
• Social Emergency Medical Service (SAMU social)

The objectives of this committee are to discuss the areas of focus for the epidemiological surveillance program for diabetes and to discuss the work carried out by Santé publique France and by partners with a public health interest.

• French National Agency for Medicines and Health Products Safety (ANSM)
• CEMKA-EVAL Engineering Firm
• National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
• Directorate General for Health (DGS)
• French Federation of Diabetics (FFD)
• High Authority for Health (HAS)
• Hospitals (Ambroise Paré, Avicenne, Bégin, Bordeaux, Jean Verdier, Lille, Nantes, Sud Francilien)
• National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm)

Osteoarticular disorders (OADs) rank fifth among diseases that reduce healthy life years and first among those that cause disability. The epidemiology of OA allows for the identification of modifiable risk factors, a clearer understanding of the role of OA in multimorbidity, and the development of intervention strategies aimed at reducing the onset and impact of these conditions. In France, there is a surveillance system and prevention initiatives for POAs in the workplace, but none for the general population.

An interface committee is responsible, in particular, for:

• supporting the agency’s work on quantifying the burden of POAs and its evolution;
• identifying opportunities to develop primary prevention initiatives in various settings;
• contributing to advocacy efforts for the prevention of POAs in the general population in future public health plans;
• assisting the agency in defining objectives for the surveillance and prevention of POAs in the general population.

• Association: French Association for the Fight Against Rheumatism
• National Health Insurance Fund (Cnam)
• College of General Medicine (CMG)
• School of Advanced Studies in Public Health (EHESP)
• Universities: University of Lorraine, University of Manchester (UK), Sorbonne University, University of Angers, Paris Cité, Sorbonne Paris Nord