EMCDDA project: methodological pilot study of local level prevalence estimates CT.96.EP.07. Final report

ENGLISH :
This report presents the findings from an EMCDDA funded Methodological Pilot Study of Local Level Prevalence Estimates. Following on from a joint EMCDDA / Pompidou Group meeting, comparative pilot studies to improve the prevalence estimation at local and national levels were initiated. A methodology, commonly known as capture-recapture, was considered to be of use at the local level. The aim of this Pilot Study is therefore to compare and contrast the application of the methodology in four, or more, cities.
Through the network of focal points in the 15 countries of the European Union, potential partners for this project were identified and a group of experts were invited to a meeting in Glasgow to discuss the project. Some of the participants had experience in applying the method whereas others were reacting to the need of policy makers for accurate prevalence information in their city. It soon became clear that completing a capture-recapture analysis from start to finish in the space of a year could be a problem for cities that did not have a tradition of prevalence estimation; therefore the remit of the group was broadened to include the experiences of those wishing to use this method in their own country, but who may not have been able to obtain an estimate within the stipulated timetable. This group of networks was strengthened by means of an electronic mail discussion group and a second meeting held in Utrecht later in the year.
In total, seven cities obtained a prevalence estimate during the course of this project. These are: Dublin, Ireland; Helsinki, Finland; Rome, Italy; Setúbal, Portugal; Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Toulouse, France; Vienna, Austria.