Technical Brief: Improving Dried Blood Spot Transport Logistics for Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV – The SPEEID Model

HIV & AIDS,
Technical Briefs & Case Studies

Technical Brief: Improving Dried Blood Spot Transport Logistics for Early Infant Diagnosis of HIV – The SPEEID Model

The Prevention and Organizational Systems – AIDS Care and Treatment (Pro-ACT) project is a seven-year project (2009-2016) funded by USAID and implemented by MSH in five Nigerian states: Niger, Kwara, Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara. Pro-ACT strengthens the capacity of Nigeria’s public, private, and community sectors for sustainable HIV/AIDS and TB prevention, control, care and treatment integrated within the health system.

HIV diagnosis of children exposed to HIV during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and breastfeeding requires the collection of dried blood spot (DBS) samples. The absence of a standardized logistic transfer system for these DBS samples in Nigeria has a huge effect on treatment outcomes for HIV-exposed infants, and subjects parents and caregivers to psychological strain while they await the results. Pro-ACT pioneered a new model for the transportation of dried blood spot (DBS) samples in collaboration with the Nigerian Postal Services.