105340Planning project for evaluation of SAMBA POC testing at HIV PrEP sitesClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKDRW has developed a simple, point-of-care (POC) nucleic acid test (NAT) platform, called SAMBA, which allows complex, high-performance HIV tests to be carried out in doctor's offices, pharmacies and other primary and community health-care settings. SAMBA was designed specifically for use in such settings, whereas currently-used complex nucleic acid technology is not designed for use outside of complex, centralised laboratories with highly skilled staff. DRW has two CE marked tests: one for early HIV detection and one to estimate HIV viral load for treatment monitoring. The tests are currently used in remote settings in Zimbabwe, Malawi and Uganda but are equally suited to point-of-care settings in the UK and other developed countries. The proposed project will investigate how SAMBA can be integrated with NHS sites providing new preventative treatment for people at very high risk of contracting HIV. During this planning phase DRW will work with a clinical consultant in the NHS and a software engineer to identify and contact clinical sites offering this treatment. DRW together with the consultants will then plan how SAMBA results reporting can be integrated with Laboratory Information Management Systems in use and develop a protocol for evaluating SAMBA for HIV diagnosis at these sites.