Point of Care Early Infant Diagnosis Patient Impact Study

Evaluation of the Clinical Impact of Point-of-Care HIV Early Infant Diagnostic Technologies

In Malawi, early infant HIV diagnosis (EID, i.e. HIV screening of infants under 18 months of age) is conducted using molecular diagnostics at central laboratories. However, test volumes are growing and many parts of the country do not have close or easy access to laboratories. Test samples are transported over large distances and this can introduce testing delays, especially for patients in rural and remote areas of the country. There are growing numbers of high quality Point-Of-Care (POC) diagnostic technologies available and there is increasing interest in using these technologies to alleviate critical testing needs. This protocol describes an observational study looking at the patient impact of implementing POC EID technologies within the routine standard of care at seven facilities.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Younger than 12 months of age
• Clinical or other indication for an EID test (screen or confirmation), such as birth to an HIV-positive mother

Exclusion Criteria:

• Older than 12 months of age
• Serious medical conditions which would make testing dangerous for the infant, or disrupt the accuracy of normal laboratory analysis and its interpretation
• Already initiated ART