NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY

HEID AND HIV VIRAL LOAD SECTION

HIV viral load and HIV Early Infant Diagnosis is the molecular sub-section which is among accredited scope at National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL), HIV Viral load test measures number of HIV copies in a milliliter of blood, where HIV Early Infant Diagnosis (HEID) testing it is done for diagnosis of HIV to children less than 18 months born from mothers infected with HIV.

A viral load measurement test is done to:

1. Monitor the response to ART in HIV-infected patients
2. Understand disease progression
3. Guide treatment choices

A HIV Early infant diagnosis is done specifically to check whether a child born to a mother who is HIV positive is also infected with the condition.

Activities:

1. The sub-section serves as a back up to other Laboratories performing HVL and EID testing in any circumstances like reagents stock outs, Equipment break down or in high workload situations
2. It is also involved in providing Technical Assistance, conducting supportive supervision, mentor ship, providing and coordinate External Quality Assessment (EQA) for EID and HVL in other facilities
3. The sub-section performs quality check for all new lot numbers of reagents and consumables procured by Medical Store Department (MSD) and post marketing Survey in collaboration with regulatory boards
4. HVL&EID sub-section in collaboration with National AIDS Control Program (NACP) and Implementing Partner’s (IP’s) provides coordination of HVL & EID laboratory testing Country wide
5. HVL&EID sub-section in collaboration with MSD and Implementing partners prepares rationed reagents distribution to all HVL&EID testing laboratories
6. The sub-section members provide technical advice to HVL&EID National Technical Steering Committee for EID&HVL
7. The sub-section participate fully in development of National training package and guidelines and operational for HVL & EID
8. HIV viral load and EID section works in collaboration with several non-government organizations such as Tanzania Health Promotion Support (THPS), Management and Development for Health (MDH), Ariel Glaser Pediatric AIDS Healthcare Initiative (AGPAHI) and ICAP
9. The sub-section also performs other molecular tests such as Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C viral load
10. The sub-section is involved in production and distribution of External Quality Control samples(EQC) to POCs and conventional laboratories in the country performing HIV viral load and HEID
11. The sub-section performs verification of new machines for testing of HIV Viral load and HIV early infant diagnosis

Participation of Proficiency Testing Panel (PT)

• The section receives and process specimens twice per year for EID&HVL external quality assessment (EQA) from National Health Laboratory services (NHLS) South Africa for conventional platforms.
• The section receives and process specimens twice per year for EID&HVL external quality assessment (EQA) from QASI-CANADA for GeneXpert platform.
• The section receives and distributes HIV Viral load and HIV early infant diagnosis EQA samples from National Health Laboratory services (NHLS) South Africa to conventional laboratories testing for HIV Viral load and HIV early infant diagnosis.
• The section receives and distributes HIV Viral load and HIV early infant diagnosis EQA samples from QASI-CANADA to Point of care testing sites for HIV Viral load and HIV early infant diagnosis.

• The sub-section produces and distributes HIV early infant diagnosis EQA to point of care sites so as to monitor their quality.