Regular HIV viral load testing is important to monitor the effectiveness of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in achieving and maintaining viral suppression. Lower viral load reduces the risk of progression to AIDS and death.
To develop and strengthen the capacity of national laboratory services for viral load testing alongside the scale-up of access to ART, the Global Fund supported installation of PCR (polymerase chain reaction) machines in four locations across Myanmar: the Magway General Hospital, Mingalardon Specialist Hospital, and the Public Health Laboratory in Mandalay and National Health Laboratory in Yangon.
The support also included installation of auto-extractor machines for automated sample preparation for faster testing, laboratory staff training, and renovation and upgrading of the PCR laboratories. This is within the ongoing efforts by the National AIDS Programme to build laboratory capacity.
Alongside the scale-up of access to ART, the quality of the ART service in Myanmar will improve through wider availability of viral load testing to monitor patients’ initial and sustained response to their treatment.
It will support Myanmar’s contribution towards the global effort to reach the third “90-90-90” target: by 2020, 90% of all people receiving ART will have viral suppression.
