The Priority Programmes address HIV and tuberculosis (TB) with the purpose of making laboratory services accessible, affordable and relevant. Furthermore, there is an imperative to ensure HIV laboratory services are fully integrated into those for TB and human papilomavirus (HPV) diseases.
The aims of the Priority programmes are to:
- provide affordable, sustainable health laboratory services to support HIV clinical activities for both adults and children in South Africa;
- ensure appropriate rationalisation of laboratory services with respect to function and equipment;
- train a cadre of health professionals that can support this service adequately into the future;
- promote and undertake relevant research to ensure services remain appropriate and relevant;
- raise the profile of NHLS activities with respect to priority diseases such as HIV;
- ensure HIV, TB and HPV laboratory services are aligned into the future; and
- foster close relations with healthcare professionals involved in HIV care.
The Head of the National Priority Programmes Unit is Professor Wendy Stevens
NPP Operations Manager- Dr M. Pedro da Silva
The NPP is committed to providing quality service for HIV diagnosis and monitoring
The NPP HIV section consists of the:
- CD4 unit
- HIV viral load unit
- Early infant diagnosis (EID) unit
- HIV Genotyping unit
- Research Diagnostic Group
- Business Analysis and Monitoring and Evaluation unit