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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

MPILO Central Hospital’s HIV Virology Testing Laboratory has significantly expanded its capabilities. Now able to process a remarkable 10 000 viral load specimens each month, the International Organisation for Standardisation ISO 15189-certified facility has become a vital asset for public health in southern Zimbabwe.

Beyond HIV, the laboratory can now detect a range of viral diseases, providing crucial insights for diagnosis and treatment. By offering viral load testing, health workers can effectively monitor the effectiveness of medication for HIV and Aids patients, ensuring optimal care.

While the primary role of the laboratory is to manage the health of those living with HIV, the hospital has leveraged its multi-purpose capabilities to provide services such as Covid-19 tests and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, as well as testing for mother-to-child transmissions.

The laboratory was equipped with cutting-edge equipment following a partnership between the Government and the United States of America, which funded the state-of-the-art equipment through its President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR), with the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as the implementing partner.

The US Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Pamela Tremont, visited Mpilo Central Hospital yesterday on a familiarisation tour of the US-funded project, where she revealed that her government is spending US$200 million to improve the country’s laboratories.

Mpilo Central Hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr Narcisius Dzvanga, said that with the new state-of-the-art equipment, the hospital can effectively cover the entire southern region without facing challenges.

“This is state-of-the-art equipment, strong brands with the potential to do what we would have never been able to do on our own. We have equipment that can process over 10 000 specimens per month, and with the new guidelines stating that anyone on HIV must get a viral load test once a year, it is no longer twice a year,” said Dr Dzvanga.

“It means we can capture specimens from the whole southern region. We are coping because of the size of the machine.

“We started with machines that could do 50 samples per day, but now we have this huge machine which can do what 10 machines would have done. The quality of our results is confirmed by the ISO certification.”

He noted that the equipment at the laboratory was invaluable during the peak of Covid-19 as it was used for PCR tests.

“Now Covid-19 is not an issue of concern globally. We now also test new-born babies to check for mother-to-child transmission cases,” he said.

Health and Child Care Director of Laboratory Services, Dr Raiva Simbi, said the services offered at Mpilo Central Hospital’s HIV Virology Testing Laboratory have been extended across the country to improve the management of viruses.

“We now have this kind of testing in all the provincial laboratories. We call it PCR as you don’t test for HIV only but you can test all the viruses, depending on whether you have all the codes for those viruses. In the advent of Covid-19, we repurposed the HIV machines for Covid-19 testing. Likewise, we are testing for human papillomavirus (HPV), which is mostly for patients with cervical cancer, and also hepatitis. What we have done as a country is develop a diagnostic network utilisation where we have a footprint of particular machines that serve a specific population depending on the prevalence of different viruses,” said Dr Simbi.

He said the advanced technology enables the Government to meet its universal health targets. Dr Simbi added that as a result, the turnaround time for testing viral loads and treatment has been reduced to just seven days.

“These services are now available almost everywhere, even at district hospitals. At centres where you don’t have the machine, we have developed integrated support transportation with more than 400 motorbikes ferrying samples from over 1 400 sites. This coordinated support transportation is sent to hubs. We have an integrated management system, and as soon as the result is out, we send the notification to patients and the result to the clinician,” he said.

Dr Simbi said that through HIV viral load testing, health centres can detect if patients have a drug-resistant virus or are not responding to treatment promptly, thereby improving care.

Ambassador Tremont said the US is committed to its partnership with Zimbabwe in improving the healthcare of Zimbabweans.

“We have been working with this laboratory for some years, bringing equipment of international standards. Supporting labs has been a significant part of our health programme. We commit over US$200 million a year in Zimbabwe to keep Zimbabweans healthier and enable them to live longer and more prosperous lives. The lab recently achieved ISO 15189 certification, which means it is offering laboratory testing at a world-class level for the people of Bulawayo,” she said.

“They can handle 10 000 viral load tests per month. Viral load testing for people whose treatment is not working and for infants is crucial to bringing Zimbabwe to the 95-95-95 targets. These laboratory tests are critical to achieving our goals.”

Zimbabwe is aiming to achieve the 95-95-95 goal by next year, which means that 95 percent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 95 percent of people who know their status are receiving HIV treatment, and 95 percent of people on treatment are virally suppressed.

Ambassador Tremont said the aim is to ensure that by 2030, HIV and AIDS are eradicated as a health crisis. She commended the work ethic of those working at the laboratory, noting that despite facing challenges, they are able to address them and provide efficient services to their clients.
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