Archive · 28 Nov 2025
ICMR Study Supports Decentralized HIV Testing
Scientists in India did a study to see if they could make HIV testing easier and faster.
Right now, people with HIV have to send their blood to special labs to check if their medicine is working.
This takes a long time.
The scientists wanted to see if they could use smaller machines that are already being used for TB testing to check HIV levels in the blood.
They also wanted to see if they could use tiny drops of dried blood instead of liquid blood for testing.
They found that both of these ideas could work.
This is important because it could help more people get tested and treated faster, especially in places where there are no big labs.
The goal is to make sure that 95% of people with HIV have the virus under control by 2030.
ICMR-NITVAR and NACO conducted a study to explore decentralized HIV viral load (VL) testing using GeneXpert and dried blood spot (DBS) samples.
The study found that HIV VL testing using plasma samples on the GeneXpert platform or DBS-based HIV VL testing on the Abbott platform is feasible.
Currently, HIV VL testing is done in specialized laboratories using plasma samples, with results taking 10-12 days due to transportation and testing burden.
Decentralized HIV VL testing could lead to early diagnoses of virological failure and prompt changes in individual care, improving access to VL testing and timely treatment changes.
The findings assume importance as evidence of this kind can enable the program to advance more rapidly towards the global objective of achieving viral suppression among 95% of people living with HIV on ART by 2030.
- Who
- ICMR-National Institute of Translational Virology and AIDS Research (NITVAR) in Pune, in collaboration with National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)
- What
- A study exploring the feasibility of decentralized HIV viral load (VL) testing using GeneXpert and dried blood spot (DBS) samples
- When
- The study was conducted recently, with findings released ahead of World AIDS Day (December 1)
- Where
- The study was conducted in India, with a focus on expanding access to HIV VL testing in both urban and rural areas
- Why
- To advance towards the global objective of achieving viral suppression among 95% of people living with HIV on ART by 2030 and to improve access to VL testing and timely treatment changes
- Study Conducted By
- ICMR-National Institute of Translational Virology and AIDS Research (NITVAR) in Pune
- Collaborators
- National AIDS Control Organization (NACO)
- Objective
- To explore decentralized HIV viral load (VL) testing using GeneXpert and dried blood spot (DBS) samples
- Key Finding
- HIV VL testing using plasma samples on GeneXpert platform or DBS-based HIV VL testing on Abbott platform is feasible
- Current Monitoring Method
- Routine HIV VL tests based on plasma samples transported to specialized laboratories
- Current Network
- 80 HIV VL testing reference laboratories linked to 760 ART centers
- Time for Results
- 10-12 days on average due to transportation and testing burden
- Global Target
- Achieving viral suppression among 95% of people living with HIV on ART by 2030