Viral load testing coverage
Export Indicator
This indicator assesses the extent to which VL testing is available in the country and enables appropriate interpretation of VL testing data.
- WHO recommends routine VL testing at 6 months and 12 months after ART initiation and every 12 months thereafter.
- Many countries are still in the process of scaling up VL testing capacity.
- This indicator is critical to decide whether VL suppression, as measured through routine data, is likely to be representative of all patients on ART.
Number of ART patients with at least one routine VL test result during the reporting period
Number of ART patients on ART at least 6 months
For the numerator and denominator. Programme records (for example, ART register, cohort reporting forms, patient records)
It is critical to deduplicate records and avoid double-counting when identifying the appropriate numerator. The denominator excludes patients who have died, transferred to another clinic, or been classified as lost to follow-up.
- Gender (male, female, transgender)
- Age (0-4, 5-9, 10-14, 15-19, 20-24, 25-49, 50+)
- Key populations (men who have sex with men, people living in prisons and other closed settings, people who inject drugs, sex workers, transgender people)
- Other specific priority populations.
WHO Strategic Information Guidelines, 2020 (https://indicatorregistry.unaids.org/sites/default/files/9789240000735-eng.pdf)