DBS EID English

Early infant diagnosis (EID) is critical for timely initiation of antiretroviral treatment (ART) in HIV-infected children who are at high risk of mortality. In recognition of the immense benefits of dried blood spot (DBS) as a means of increasing the access to EID, the World Health Organization, African Society for Laboratory Medicine, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Agency for International Development, Clinton Health Access Initiative, Médecins Sans Frontières, Global Fund, Riders for Health, Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute convened, identified and developed tools that would assist programs in scaling up HIV Diagnosis and uptake of results. This video, produced by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention English, French, and Portuguese, describes the procedure for collection of a DBS specimen from an infant below 18 months of age for performing HIV-1 PCR.