Molecular Diagnostics

The department is currently carrying out the following:
•    HIV viral load
•    CD4 counts
•    CDC courses
•    Student mentorship

HIV viral load
The HIV viral load is currently being run on the Roche manual platform. Plans are however underway to utilize our Applied Biosystems 7500 Real-Time PCR machine.


Cell profiles
The department is currently using a robust Cyflow ® counter Partec machine for CD4, CD4 % and CD8. This revolutionary machine has allowed AiBST to make CD4 counts affordable. Our client base includes research teams and referrals from doctor’s surgeries.






CDC Courses
The courses are to train healthcare professionals in the diagnosis, treatment and management of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe. The courses are structured as general and specialized. The general component includes all health professionals: doctors, nurses, pharmacists and medical laboratory scientists, the specialized courses are specific to health cadres. The table below outlines the General Provincial Courses.
Table 1: Status of CDC General Provincial Courses
Province    Completed    Pending
Harare    ?    
Bulawayo    ?    
Mashonaland East        ?
Mashonaland West        ?
Mashonaland Central        ?
Midlands    ?    
Matebeleland North    ?    
Matebeleland South    ?    
Masvingo    ?    
Manicaland    ?    


Student mentorship
This is one of the mainstays of AiBST. It has a culture to training laboratory scientists to their full potential. All levels of the laboratory professional are mentored in the department.