title: Laboratory Innovation Towards Quality Program Sustainability.
abstract: Laboratory innovation significantly affects program sustainability of HIV programs in low and middle income countries (LMICs) far beyond its immediate sphere of impact. Innovation in rapid development of diagnostic technologies, improved quality management systems, strengthened laboratory management, affordable external quality assurance and accreditation schemes, and building local capacity have reduced costs, brought quality improvement to point-of-care testing, increased access to testing services, reduced treatment and prevention costs and opened the door to the real possibility of ending the AIDS epidemic. However, for effectively implemented laboratory innovation to contribute to HIV quality program sustainability, it must be implemented within the overall context of the national strategic plan and HIV treatment programs. The high quality of HIV rapid diagnostic test was a breakthrough that made it possible for more persons to learn their HIV status, receive counseling, and if infected to receive treatment. Likewise, the use of dried blood spots made the shipment of samples easier for the assessment of different variables of HIV infection-molecular diagnosis, CD4+ cell counts, HIV antibodies, drug resistance surveillance, and even antiretroviral drug level measurements. Such advancement is critical for to reaching the UNAIDS target of 90-90-90 and for bringing the AIDS epidemic to an end, especially in LMICs.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA. aabimiku@som.umaryland.edu.
authors.forename: Alash'le
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abimiku
authors.affiliation: Association of Public Health Laboratories, 8515 Georgia Ave #700, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Timperi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, 725 W. Lombard Street, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA.|Salt Run Global Health and Research, Saint Augustine, FL, USA.
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Blattner
mesh_terms: D015492:AIDS Serodiagnosis / Q000592:standards*; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000379:methods; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D003376:Counseling; D003906:Developing Countries; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D025202:Molecular Diagnostic Techniques / Q000592:standards*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015397:Program Evaluation / Q000379:methods*; D011785:Quality Assurance, Health Care; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000592:standards
keywords: Diagnosis; HIV; Innovation; Laboratory; Point-of-care; Quality