Diagnostics

This brief summarizes lessons learned from Zimbabwe’s pilot implementation of integrated or multi-disease testing. Partnerships in the country focused on leveraging existing GeneXpert platforms for both TB and HIV testing to improve access to early infant HIV diagnosis and viral load testing. These findings describe the benefits of integrated testing for clients, health providers and the health system and are a resource for other countries scaling up point-of-care integrated testing.

This brief highlights the current scenario of policies and programmes related to point-of-care viral load testing among pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV. In many countries, viral load policies are not differentiated for pregnant and breastfeeding women despite evidence that point-of-care viral load testing is helpful for this population. Same-day results for pregnant and breastfeeding women can help ensure timely initiation of ART, improved rates of viral suppression and retention in care to support efforts of preventing vertical transmission of HIV.

Les tests de diagnostic décentralisés réalisés au moyen de plates-formes présentes sur les lieux de soins ou à proximité peuvent considérablement améliorer les soins prodigués aux patients en élargissant l’accès à des services de diagnostic essentiels, en réduisant les délais d’obtention des résultats et en améliorant l’intégration aux soins.

Decentralized diagnostic testing using point-of-care (POC) or near-POC platforms can significantly improve patient care by expanding access to critical diagnostic services, reducing result turnaround time (TAT), and improving linkage to care.