Publication

As the HIV/AIDS epidemic imposes an ever-larger burden on the world, second generation HIV surveillance becomes more critical in understanding the trends of the epidemic and making sound decisions on how best to respond to it. In the context of second generation HIV surveillance, these laboratory guidelines suggest methods for selecting, evaluating and implementing HIV testing technologies and strategies based on a country's laboratory infrastructure and surveillance needs. The guidelines provide recommendations for specimen selection, collection, storage, and testing, and for the selection and evaluation of appropriate HIV testing strategies and technologies to meet surveillance objectives. Because accurate results are important in biological surveillance of HIV, quality assurance measures are addressed. The guidelines also include a glossary of terms used in the document. These technical guidelines are written for HIV surveillance coordinators and other health professionals involved in HIV testing for surveillance purposes in developing countries. They are part of a series of operational guidelines for second generation HIV surveillance systems.