Fewer than 45% of people living with HIV in Africa have access to early diagnosis or monitoring tests for treatment. This is increasing HIV drug resistance, which is a huge public health concern.
A team led by Imperial’s Dr Catherine Kibirige is tackling this problem by developing easy-to-use, affordable ambient-temperature HIV-1-quantitative kits including (RT)qPCR and LAMP assay kits designed for use for early infant diagnosis and treatment monitoring, including in secondary or primary healthcare facilities in resource-constrained settings. Widespread diagnostic testing is essential in curbing HIV drug resistance to readily available HIV treatments in LMICs. Use of room-temperature reagents is being explored alongside detailed consumer needs research.
Dr Catherine Kibirige is the founder of HIV Quant
