O14.6 Mafrica: zenzele, a mobile-phone enabled HIV testing and linkage to care pathway for young people in rural south africa

Abstract

who were tested for GC/CT but not empirically treated. Either GC or CT was positive at 90 (14.7%) visits. Median age and race/ethnicity did not differ between the groups. Mean and median time to treatment for GC/CT decreased from 6 and 4 days prior to implementing GeneXpert™, to 1.7 and 0 days for those tested with the POC test (p<0.001). Conclusion Prevalence of GC and CT was high among asymptomatic patients on PrEP. The introduction of POC testing decreases time to treatment, reducing duration of infectivity and potentially preventing ongoing transmissions. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Lateral flow test engineering and lessons learned from COVID-19

“…Although the importance of reporting varies by pathogen and setting, self-testing and control over the disclosure of results are a key benefit in making diagnostics accessible, as has been shown in demographics hesitant to test for HIV in traditional clinic settings 78 . Importantly, self-testing and digital reporting have shown perceived privacy benefits compared to in-person testing 89 .…”

“…In addition, information can be linked to each measurement, enabling real-time, geo-linked surveillance 154 . Digital solutions should prioritize interoperability and integrate with existing platforms (not exacerbate digital exclusion), should encourage trust with easy-to-use systems and protect personal information, and they should be co-designed with end-users for optimized usability 89 . Moreover, machine learning can be applied to optimize, analyse and quantify paper-based multiplexed tests 165 .…”