This pilot of community-led monitoring (CLM) of routine viral load testing (RVLT) and CD4 cell count testing, carried out in Kenya and Sierra Leone, confirms that the presence of guidelines and policies cannot be used as a proxy for coverage and access to these tests. Simply or solely tracking guidelines and rates of virologic suppression leaves out crucial information about service availability and quality.

This pilot strongly supports the case for CLM focused on laboratory services, with an expanded and refined set of indicators that provides information on whether people living with HIV are receiving the tests indicated by guidelines and/or their clinical status. It was prepared by ITPC, the National Empowerment Network of People living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya (NEPHAK), and the Network of HIV Positives (NETHIPS) in Sierra Leone.