Opening of HIV Regional Referral laboratory in SBMU and 11 provinces
Public Relations of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences: the opening ceremony for the HIV regional referral laboratory was held in Shahid Jafari clinic in presence of deputy of the Ministry of Health, Director of CDC (communicative disease control), SBMU University Chancellor and the WHO representative in AIDS.
It is notable that the HIV diagnostic laboratory network has been simultaneously developed in 11 provinces, which is in line with the implementation of the evolution of the health care system in Iran.
This laboratory network has been established in 11 selected laboratories including the SBMU, Isfahan, Ahvaz, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Bandar Abbas, Tabriz, Zahedan, Sari, Shiraz, Kerman and Kermanshah. These laboratories are provided with the most advanced diagnostic and serological equipment in terms of cd4 cell count which is the main immune index in patients.
Dr. Gouya, Director of CDC, stated that laboratory equipment is funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, and patients receive free of charge services. He added that laboratory diagnosis of HIV had been the responsibility of the blood transfusion organizations, but today advanced diagnosis of HIV has been made possible by establishing such laboratories nationwide. He also emphasized that all stages of HIV diagnosis including rapid diagnostic tests for the first time in Iran, ELISA tests, cd4 cell count and molecular tests have now become possible.