Beyond Bioinformatics

Title

SMARThivVLmos: A complexity-free and cost effective dynamic model technology for monitoring HIV viral load in resource-poor settings   

Authors

Aboubakar Yari^{1, *}, Frederic S. Passo¹, Venus Yari¹, Ousmane Sanni¹, Myra Yari¹, Mathieu Z. Dovenou¹, Rachide Traore¹ and Jean-Pierre Hounyet²

Affiliation

¹Biotech tropicana, Inc, Parakou, Benin; ²Hôpital Saint-Jean de Dieu, Boko, Benin 

Email

ayari@biotechtropicana.com; * Corresponding author

Article Type

Views & challenges

Date

received December 18, 2007; revised January 14, 2008; accepted January 19, 2008; published January 27, 2008

We design a “simple” and “low cost” model technology for monitoring HIV viral load in resource-poor settings: SMARThivVLmos. Cost and complexity are the major challenges to the developing world, in monitoring HIV patients viral load. We have previously demonstrated in our SMARThivPack model that cost and complexity of laboratory monitoring of HIV patients, may be reduced not only at a first technology development level, but also at a second technology implementation, and at a third global coordination levels.

In our SMARThivPack model, the P24 HIV viral load monitoring system passed both the “cost” and the “complexity” tests. However, compared to other alternative viral monitoring systems such as the Cavidi EXAVIR, the sensitivity of the P24 system is too low. Here we describe a dynamic model technology that overcomes the sensitivity barrier of the P24 system while maintaining simplicity and low cost.

HIV viral load measurement; HIV surveillance technologies; cost and complexity; resource-poor countries; alternative technologies

Citation

Yari, et al., Bioinformation 2(6): 246-248 (2008)

Edited by

P. Kangueane

ISSN

0973-2063

Publisher

Biomedical Informatics Publishing Group

Copyright

Publisher

Copyright Transfer Agreement

The authors of published articles in Bioinformation automatically transfer the copyright to the publisher upon formal acceptance. However, the authors reserve right to use the information contained in the article for non commercial purposes.

License

This is an open-access article, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, for non-commercial purposes, provided the original author and source are credited.