New Decentralized Molecular Hep C Molecular Diagnosis & The Role of CD4 In The Management of HIV/AIDS Patients In The Current Dispensation

Sponsors: Sysmex
Date: Tuesday, 11 December 2018
Time: 19:30-21:00
Location: Kogi

No invitations necessary; open to all conference registrants

TARGET AUDIENCE:
The targeted audience will include Doctors, Nurses, Laboratory Scientists/Technician, HIV/AIDs activists and the general public.

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION:
Hepatitis C (HCV) is a blood-borne virus that causes both acute and chronic infection. It is most commonly transmitted through sharing needles for injected drug use, inadequate sterilisation of medical equipment, transfusion of unscreened blood or blood products and, less commonly, through sexual intercourse or mother-to-child transmission. It disproportionately affects vulnerable populations of people co-infected with HIV or tuberculosis and if untreated can progress to liver cirrhosis or cancer and cause significant morbidity and mortality. Approximately 150-180 million people are chronically infected with HCV worldwide and it causes approximately 350,000 deaths each year. About 15–45% of infected persons spontaneously clear the virus within 6 months of infection without any treatment. The
remaining 55–85% of persons will develop chronic HCV infection. Of those with chronic HCV infection, the risk of
cirrhosis of the liver is between 15–30% within 20 years.

Hepatitis C infection is often asymptomatic, which means that a large percentage of those infected are unaware of their
status. Current diagnostic algorithms are complex and expensive, many of the available tests used for HCV detection
(primarily serological rapid diagnostic tests) are of poor or unknown quality. If screening for HCV infection using a
serologic test this must be followed by an HCV RNA test (either quantitative or qualitative) to confirm the presence of
viraemia, and therefore chronic infection. Only patients with chronic infection will require treatment for HCV
infection. HCV RNA tests are currently only available in centralised settings in low and middle income countries
resulting in less than 1% of infected people in having awareness of their disease in these regions. The Seminar is
targeted at introducing a new and innovative, hand-held molecular device for the diagnosis of Hepatitis C in the
General population.

The second part of the seminar is targeted at bringing to the fore the importance of use of CD4 testing in the
management of HIV/AIDS patients in the era of test and treat – an important component in the achievement of the
90-90-90 strategy for the eradication/control of HIV in the world. The Sysmex CD4 equipment which has just acquired
WHO-PQ is in the strategic position in helping to give quality management to these patients. The seminar will afford
professionals and participants of this year’s ASLM to review the strategic role CD4 still plays in the management of
HIV/AIDs patients.

SESSION LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  • To Introduce the new Hep-C Genedrive molecular diagnostic device to the general medical public
  • To discuss and review the role CD4 testing plays in the management of HIV/AIDS patients in view of the WHO current recommendations

Presenters:

  • Prof. A.S. Akanmu, Department of Haematology and Blood Transfusion, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos
  • Dr. G. K. Oyeleke, Department of Medicine, Gastroenterology/Hepatology, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos.