Point-of-care tests for diagnosing HIV infection among children younger than 18 months

Overview

Despite long-standing WHO recommendations and significant investments in building testing capacity, in 2018 only 59% of HIV-exposed infants received a virological test for HIV by 2 months of age, and testing coverage is even lower at later time points for children who are still breastfeeding. Unfortunately, however, 50% of perinatally infected infants and 25% of infants and children infected during breastfeeding will die before 2 years of age without ART.

This target product profile describes the optimal and minimal product characteristics of an ideally device-free point-of-care test that enables health-care providers to diagnose HIV infection among children younger than 18 months.

Related links

• HIV diagnosis and ARV use in HIV-exposed infants: a programmatic update
• Updated recommendations on first-line and second-line antiretroviral regimens and post-exposure prophylaxis and recommendations on early infant diagnosis of HIV
• AIDS Free Toolkit