Globally only 51 percent of people living with HIV know of their status. A new set of guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) provides a recommendation to support HIV testing services by trained lay providers and considers the potential of HIV self-testing to increase access to and coverage of HIV testing. The guidelines also address issues and elements for effective delivery of HIV testing services that are common in a variety of settings, contexts and diverse populations.
The Consolidated Guidelines on HIV Testing Services bring together existing guidance relevant to the provision of HIV testing services (HTS) and addresses issues and elements for effective delivery of HTS that are common in a variety of settings, contexts and diverse populations.
In addition, this document provides a new recommendation to support HTS by trained lay providers, considers the potential of HIV self-testing to increase access to and coverage of HIV testing, and outlines focused and strategic approaches to HTS that are needed to support the new UN 90 –90 –90 global HIV targets – the first target being diagnosis of 90 percent of people with HIV.
WHO says this guidance will assist national program managers and service providers, including those from community-based programs, in planning for and implementing HTS.
How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels
July 3rd 2025Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.
Beyond the Surface: Rethinking Environmental Hygiene Validation at Exchange25
June 30th 2025Environmental hygiene is about more than just shiny surfaces. At Exchange25, infection prevention experts urged the field to look deeper, rethink blame, and validate cleaning efforts across the entire care environment, not just EVS tasks.
A Controversial Reboot: New Vaccine Panel Faces Scrutiny, Support, and Sharp Divides
June 26th 2025As the newly appointed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) met for the first time under sweeping changes by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr, the national spotlight turned to the panel’s legitimacy, vaccine guidance, and whether science or ideology would steer public health policy in a polarized era.