Funded by Ghent University and implemented by the International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH), Ghent University, and Coast Provincial General Hospital in Mombasa, the BioViro study focuses on developing and evaluating affordable laboratory tools for managing the treatment of HIV-1-infected pregnant women in Kenya. Recognizing that viral load and resistance testing standards in high-income countries remain too costly and complex for widespread use in low-resource settings, the study explores simple, affordable, and scalable alternatives for effective ART monitoring.

Study Design
Using a cross-sectional approach, the study:

1. Tested two affordable viral load assays (ExavirLoad and Generic HIV viral load) among 20 HIV-negative, 100 ART-naïve HIV-positive, and 50 ART-experienced HIV-positive individuals.
2. Assessed the feasibility of using dried blood spots (DBS) for detecting resistance mutations in 50 ART-experienced and 10 ART-naïve HIV-positive individuals.
3. Examined treatment efficacy and drug resistance prevalence among 150 ART-experienced patients.

Impact
The study generated critical evidence on low-cost HIV monitoring tools. Three full papers were published in peer-reviewed journals, advancing the global evidence base and providing reference material for researchers, practitioners, and policymakers working to improve ART monitoring in resource-limited settings.