This white paper explores how transformative partnerships with the private sector can strengthen national capacity for HIV viral load (VL) testing. Despite the critical role of HIV VL testing in monitoring treatment success for people living with HIV and improving clinical outcomes at both the individual and population levels, many countries face low VL testing coverage due to systemic bottlenecks in public health systems. To address these gaps, partnerships with private sector laboratories have emerged as a promising solution — expanding access, reducing turnaround times of test results and augmenting public diagnostic systems sustainably.
Drawing on experiences from the Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project (funded by PEPFAR through USAID) in Nigeria, Botswana and Indonesia, this paper examines how partnerships with the private sector can be designed for better efficiency, cost-effectiveness and sustainability. The paper underscores the need for tailored approaches to address VL testing challenges in low- and middle-income countries and emphasizes the growing importance of private sector contributions to achieving epidemic control.
