Point-of-care viral load monitoring: outcomes from a decentralized HIV programme in Malawi.

CONCLUSIONS: Viral load testing at the point-of-care in Chiradzulu, Malawi achieved high coverage and good drug regimen switch rates among those identified as treatment failures. In decentralized clinics, same-day test results and shorter time-to-switch illustrated the game-changing potential of POC-based VL-testing. Nevertheless, gaps were identified along all steps of the failure cascade. Regular staff training, continuous monitoring and creating demand are essential to the success of routine VL-testing. PMID: 31441242 [PubMed - in process]
Source: Journal of the International AIDS Society - Category: Infectious Diseases Tags: J Int AIDS Soc Source Type: research