This framework has been designed for CSOs to help you plan your work around infant HIV testing. There is a particular focus on Africa, as programmes to introduce point-of-care machines have so far focused on African countries, but we hope that the framework can be used by anyone wanting to work on early infant diagnosis of HIV.
Greatly expanded access to routine viral load testing will be a game-changer in the global response to AIDS. Routine viral load tests improve treatment quality and individual health outcomes for people living with HIV, contribute to prevention, and potentially reduce resource needs for costly second- and third-line HIV medicines.
This document was created by ICAP’s Clinical and Training Unit with valuable input from their 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.