Why is WHO focusing on quality of testing and prevention of misdiagnosis

Why is WHO focusing on quality of testing and prevention of misdiagnosis

WHO has always focused on supporting countries to provide high quality HIV testing services and has recognised the need to prevent people from receiving false positive test results because of the lifelong implications of an HIV-positive diagnosis. This became an increasingly important issue when WHO recommended the offer of immediate ART for all pregnant women with HIV (option B+), and subsequently the offer of immediate treatment for all people with HIV (“Treat All”), without the need for meeting a certain threshold of CD4 or clinical signs and symptoms.

Therefore in 2014, WHO reiterated recommendations to ensure that all people with a new diagnosis of HIV have a second specimen collected and tested for HIV (according to the national testing algorithm), prior to antiretroviral therapy initiation. This essential quality assurance mechanism is necessary to prevent misdiagnosis and unnecessary initiation of antiretroviral therapy for people who are actually HIV-negative.

WHO reminds national programmes to retest all newly diagnosed people with HIV

This is standard practice in many countries as WHO “Treat All” policy is now widely implemented, and is a key recommendation in the WHO consolidated guidelines on HIV testing.