Impact of Shifts to Birth Testing on Early Infant Diagnosis Program Outcomes in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

ABSTRACT:

Background

South African early infant diagnosis guidelines shifted to recommending an initial HIV nucleic acid-based test (NAT) test at birth in 2015. Prior to this, initial NAT was recommended at 6 weeks of age. Here we examine parameters of early infant diagnosis performance in KwaZulu-Natal before and after this change.

Methods

Data on all HIV diagnostic NAT conducted for the province between January 2013 and April 2016 were assembled and analyzed. Laboratory barcodes allowed identification of repeat tests on the same child. We evaluated coverage, positivity rates, age at testing and frequency of repeat tests across birth cohorts.

Results

In birth cohorts 2013 and 2014, 62.1% and 61.8%, respectively, of tests <16 weeks were done in children who were 6-8 weeks of ag

SUBMITTER: Smith S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6598715 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature