Roche to Provide Tests for Early Diagnosis of HIV-infected Infants in SA

Roche will deliver diagnostics to support the largest infant testing initiative in the world that aims to identify HIV-infected children during the first months of life.

Roche has been awarded an exclusive contract by the National Health Laboratory Services (NHLS) in South Africa for the support of the Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) Programme.

Roche will deliver diagnostics to support the largest infant testing initiative in the world that aims to identify HIV-infected children during the first months of life. Infants can be tested with Roche's diagnostics using the Dried Blood Sampling (DBS) technique, with which a spot of blood is preserved on filter paper and then sent to a testing centre. This technique is less stressful for the mother and the child, eliminates the need for refrigeration and drastically reduces the volume of blood to be stored or transported.

Early diagnosis is critical for children infected wi