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Consensus Meeting for Improving the Quality of
Laboratory Testing for HIV Surveillance
October 19-21
Hyatt Regency Atlanta
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Background
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HIV surveillance systems that use biomarkers provide
essential data for program planning, monitoring, and advocacy and are dependent on
functioning laboratory systems. However, surveillance reports rarely include data
on specimen and testing quality, and anecdotal evidence indicates that prevalence
estimates can be substantially biased in the absence of quality laboratory systems.
Bias may be introduced through sub-optimal specimen collection and processing,
labeling, storage, testing, or transcription errors during laboratory data
management, all impacting the overall quality of data in a surveillance system.
International guidelines on testing algorithms for HIV surveillance inherently
imply quality testing procedures with minimal error rates. Well-trained staff,
adherence to standard operating procedures, and implemented quality assurance are
essential to produce quality testing data; however, in resource-constrained settings
laboratory systems and staff face challenges that often get little attention in
evaluating surveillance systems and data interpretation.
The recent expansion of HIV surveillance in numerous
countries with generalized epidemics provides examples of these challenges. These
experiences should be utilized to review current standards and practices and
propose solutions and improvements. This meeting provided a venue for laboratory
scientists and surveillance staff to discuss the current challenges in laboratory
methods, including testing algorithms and quality assurance. It aimed at achieving
consensus to re-formulate or develop new guidelines and recommendations. The
meeting was international in scope and brought together experts from developing
countries and their counterparts from international institutions.
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