Abstract:

Testing and diagnosis of HIV infection is considered an important component of the fight against the pandemic. To achieve this, an algorithm which uses highly sensitive and specific tests must be employed. To assess the efficiency and public health implications of the national testing algorithm used for the screening and diagnosis of HIV in Ghana, a systematic review of the literature on the performances of the First Response and Oraquick Advance HIV-1-2 test kits was conducted. Searches in online journals, credible websites and institutions were done to access evaluation reports on the rapid kits to determine their suitability for use in the algorithm in Ghana. The First Response showed varied sensitivities ranging from 88% – 100% in post- market evaluations done in Ghana. The average specificity was 87.4% (range 82. 56%– 92%) when serum was used as the specimen of choice. One study which used whole blood reported a specificity of 100%, significantly better than those obtained with serum. The only report on the OraQuick produced a sensitivity of 98% and a specificity of 94%, falling short of the WHO’s recommended performance characteristics for HIV rapid kits. This study has revealed that the current testing algorithm in Ghana may not be efficient for screening and diagnoses of HIV infections.

Keywords: HIV, Rapid tests, Testing algorithm, Sensitivity, Specificity.

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