The Infant HIV Testing Guide 2019 was developed to guide program managers and clinicians to plan for and implement infant HIV testing services as part of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and pediatric HIV-related services. The Guide aims to support countries to increase the proportion of HIV-exposed infants receiving comprehensive, quality care, including timely HIV testing. The Guide is an update to the 2009 version (Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV Implementation Guide); it has been revised based on guidelines released over the last decade, implementation experience, and lessons learned. The Guide has been renamed to reflect a focus on the complete cascade of testing for HIV-exposed infants.
The Guide has been organized in 2 books:
- Book 1: Implementation Guide for Programme Managers covers programme planning and helps with decisions related to infant testing, working with the laboratory, monitoring and evaluation, supportive supervision and linkages. Book 1 focuses on the components that are critical to the management of strong, high quality infant HIV testing services.
- Book 2: Training Curriculum for Healthcare Providers is a complete training curriculum updated with the 2016 and 2018 WHO guidelines. Book 2 also includes jobs aids to support quality infant HIV testing and counselling and early messages to educate women and communities about the comprehensive package of care that all HIV-exposed infants need throughout breastfeeding, the importance of maternal health, and family planning.
These documents were prepared by U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Maternal and Child Health Branch and the International Laboratory Branch with support from ICAP at Columbia University.
The development of this curriculum was supported through a global technical assistance grant from CDC, number U2GGH000994. These materials are in the public domain, and we hope that they can play a useful role as part of the ever-expanding “toolbox” of guidelines and manuals being developed to support PMTCT and HIV-exposed infant care, including infant HIV testing, globally. These manuals may be freely modified and adapted to country programs needs and to changes in technology, policy and guidelines.
Recommended citations:
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Infant HIV Testing, Training Curriculum for Healthcare Providers.
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Infant HIV Testing, Implementation Guide for Programme Managers.
