Early Detection of HIV Infection in Infants and Children

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that national programmes establish capacity to provide early infant virological testing for HIV given the high risk of death by 2 years of age for infected infants and the increasing availability of paediatric antiretroviral treatment in many resource limited settings. Currently available assays and diagnostic platforms that should be considered by MOH programs for early infant HIV diagnosis include appropriately ongoing externally validated commercially and non-commercially available tests for HIV DNA (PCR) or HIV RNA.

This document is a guidance note on consideration of options for selection of technology for early diagnosis of HIV in infants in resource-limited settings.