Standard Operating Procedures on Viral Load Monitoring for Health Care Workers

This document was created by ICAP’s Clinical and Training Unit with valuable input from our teams in Swaziland, Mozambique, Kenya, and Cote d’Ivoire. It was developed as a template document to be adapted for use in various contexts and is one component of a viral load monitoring tool-kit, to be used in conjunction with ICAP’s Viral Load Monitoring Flipchart and Enhanced Adherence Treatment Plan. This area is evolving rapidly therefore it is expected that this document will require frequent updating over time, as recommendations change, and needs to be adapted according to local guidelines and context.

Option B+ Monitoring & Evaluation Framework: Dissemination & Country Consultation

A robust monitoring and evaluation (M&E) system is a key component of a strong health system. With the current WHO recommendation of lifelong ART for all pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV, outcomes (including maternal survival and final infant HIV status) require monitoring through longitudinal data systems complemented with regular cohort analyses and enhanced monitoring. Additionally, as we move toward the need for more strategic policies and programming to garner system and resource efficiencies, M&E systems need to be designed to be able to inform differences arising from age, sex, and geographic trends as well as identify weaknesses such as sub-optimal commodity supply and testing quality.