Effective care and treatment for HIV/AIDS requires the integration of all stages of disease management, which include: (1) HIV testing; (2) referral of those who test HIV-positive to a clinic for assessment; (3) assessment of the patient with CD4 test to determine eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART) or pre-ART care; (4) patient enrolment and retention in pre-ART care if not immediately eligible for ART; (5) patient initiation of ART as soon as eligible; and (6) maintenance of long-term
Background Effective care and treatment for HIV/AIDS requires the integration of all stages of disease management, which include: (1) HIV testing; (2) referral of those who test HIV-positive to a clinic for assessment; (3) assessment of the patient with CD4 test to determine eligibility for antiretroviral therapy (ART) or pre-ART care; (4) patient enrolment and retention in pre-ART care if not immediately eligible for ART; (5) patient initiation of ART as soon as eligible; and (6)
Background HIV/AIDS is placing the health systems of many resource-constrained countries under tremendous pressure. Shortages of human and infrastructural resources have become a major constraint to continued expansion of access to HIV care and treatment. Shifting clinical responsibilities to lesser trained, less expensive, and generally less scarce cadres of the clinical workforce and to lower level healthcare facilities is widely regarded as one solution to this problem. Policy Brief
South Africa bears a large share of the global burden of HIV/tuberculosis co infection. The Cepheid GeneXpert System using the Xpert MTB/RIF assay (http://www.cepheid.com/systems-andsoftware/genexpert-system/), a cassette-based cartridge, has provided the possibility of a rapid, point-of-care diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and, simultaneously, a rapid screen for rifampicin (RIF) resistance. The assay is highly sensitive and specific for M. tuberculosis (MTB) infection and received a strong
Background South Africa bears a large share of the global burden of HIV/tuberculosis co-infection. The Cepheid GeneXpert System using the Xpert MTB/RIF assay http://www.cepheid.com/systems-and-software/genexpert-system/), a cassette-based cartridge, has provided the possibility of a rapid, point-of-care diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) and, simultaneously, a rapid screen for rifampicin (RIF) resistance. The assay is highly sensitive and specific for M. tuberculosis (MTB) infection and received a
