Ontario launches POC (point of care) HIV testing programme
This article was originally published in Clinica
Ontario is launching free point of care (POC) testing for HIV - a move that it claims is a Canadian first. The programme features a 60-second on-site antibody test, said to be "as accurate as current laboratory-based testing in Ontario", though the presence of antibodies will require lab-based confirmation of HIV-positive status. It will also entail a doubling of the number of testing sites.
"Encouraging people to get tested reduces the number of HIV-infected people who remain undiagnosed and means that support and appropriate treatment can be available faster," said George Smitherman, minister of health and long-term care. According to the AIDS Bureau (Toronto), 30% of HIV-positive people in the state are unaware of their status.
In the autumn, 24 new testing sites will become operational, bringing the total number to 50. Although testing will be available throughout the state, priority areas are northern and rural communities.