AIDS. Acquired immune deficiency syndrome; the life-threatening stage of HIV infection
ANC. Antenatal clinic
antibody. An immunological blood protein used to test for (HIV) infection
antigen. A component of the (HIV) virus that is immunogenic and causes the immune system of the body to raise antibodies against it
ART. Antiretroviral therapy or treatment. Using a combination or regimen of at least three antiretroviral drugs to treat HIV/AIDS patients. ART enables people who are infected with the virus to live longer, healthier lives.
ARV. Antiretroviral (drugs). Drugs used to kill or inhibit the multiplication of retroviruses; one example is HIV.
blood safety program. Programs that screen donated blood units, which are then used for transfusion for HIV and other pathogens.
BTS. Blood transfusion service
CA. Crown Agents
CBO. Community-based organization
CBT. Competency-based training
CD4 (CD4+). The type of lymphocyte (T cell) that HIV prefers to target. Destruction of CD4+ lymphocytes is the major cause of the immunodeficiency observed in AIDS, and decreasing CD4+ lymphocyte levels appear to be the best indicator for developing opportunistic infections.
CDSC. Communicable disease surveillance center
CHBC. Community home-based care. Any form of care—physical, psychosocial, palliative, and spiritual activities—given to ill people in their homes.
confirmatory testing. A second test that is done if the results of a screening test are positive.
contagious. Liable to be transmitted by bodily or direct contact (see also infectious)
CSW. Commercial sex worker
CT. Chlamydia trachomatis
DFID. Department for International Development ( UK)
DHS. Department of hospital services
DOTS. Directly observed treatment short course (for tuberculosis)
EC. European Commission
EIA. Enzyme immuno-assay
ELISA test. (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay). A laboratory test used to detect the presence of antibodies in the serum. ELISA is used for first-line screening for HIV antibodies; a positive result indicates that antibodies have been detected. The test is sensitive but not specific, and a positive ELISA is typically confirmed using a Western blot assay.
endemic. Where an infection is established in a country or group and where transmission is continuing but prevalence may not be rapidly increasing.
EOP. Equipment operating procedure
epidemic When high levels of new infection and high transmission occur.
EPI. Extended program of immunization
EQA. External quality assurance
FDC. Fixed dose combination formulations. Two or more drugs, in fixed strengths, in a single dosage form, given to treat a specific condition (for example, TB and HIV infection).
HIV positive. A person who tests positive for the presence of HIV antibodies. In adults this is synonymous with being infected with HIV, but in infants, the antibodies may be maternal in origin and have crossed to the child prior to birth. Maternal antibodies may persist in a child for up to 18 months.
HIV. Human Immunodeficiency Virus; the virus that causes the infection.
HPD. Health and population division
HRBG. High risk behavior group
HSV. Herpes simplex virus
IDU. Injecting drug user
IEC. Information, education and communication
incidence. The number of new cases (e.g., of a disease) occurring in a given population over a certain period of time.
infectious. Liable to be transmitted by air or water (see also contagious).
NAFDAC. National Agency for Food & Drug Administration and Control
NASCP. National AIDS and STD Control Program
NBTS. National Blood Transfusion Service
NG. Neisseria gonorrhoea
NGO. Nongovernmental organization
NNRTI. Non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Antiretroviral drugs that interfere with the life cycle of HIV by preventing the transcription of viral RNA into DNA. Nevirapine and efavirenz are examples of NNRTIs.
NRTI. Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor. Antiretroviral drugs that interfere with the life cycle of HIV by preventing the transcription of viral RNA into DNA. Lamivudine, zidovudine, tenofovir, and stavudine are examples of NRTIs.
NRL. National Reference Laboratory
opportunistic infection (OI). Illnesses caused by various organisms, some of which usually do not cause disease in persons with normal immune systems. Persons living with advanced HIV infection suffer opportunistic infections of the lungs, brain, eyes, and other organs. Opportunistic infections common in persons diagnosed with AIDS include Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia; Kaposi's Sarcoma; cryptosporidiosis; histoplasmosis; other parasitic, viral, and fungal infections; and some types of cancers.
palliative care. Treatment that provides symptomatic relief, but not a cure, to support patients and their families who are living with life-ending illness.
PEP. Post-exposure prophylaxis. As it relates to HIV disease, a potentially preventative treatment using antiretroviral drugs to treat individuals within 72 hours of a high-risk exposure (for example, needlestick injury, unprotected sex, needle sharing).
PHC. Primary health care
PHLS. Public Health Laboratory Service
PI. Protease inhibitors. Inhibits the HIV-1 protease enzyme to prevent replication of the HIV virus. Ritonavir, lopinavir, and salquinavir are examples of protease inhibitors.
PITC. Provider-initiated testing and counseling. When the health care provider specifically recommends an HIV test to patients attending a health facility for another health problem or complaint.
PLWA. People living with AIDS
PLWHA. People living with HIV/AIDS
PMTCT. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission. The Prevention of Mother to Child transmission (PMTCT) includes the prevention of HIV infection in mothers; and the prevention of HIV transmission to the infant by the HIV-infected mother through prophylactic treatment by antiretrovirals.
PPT. Periodic presumptive treatment
prevalence. A measure of the proportion of people in a population affected with a particular disease at a given time.
PSI. Population Services International
PTF. Petroleum Trust Fund
PWA. People with AIDS
QA. Quality assurance
QC. Quality control
RPR. Rapid plasma reagin (syphilis test)
RTD. Rapid test device (quick and simple one-off test for HIV)
sensitivity. The chance that an HIV test result will be positive when HIV antibodies are present, i.e. if test A is 99.9% sensitive, it will identify 999 of 1000 truly HIV-infected individuals and give no more than 1 false negative. Normally HIV test kits should have >99.9% sensitivity.
sentinel surveillance. Study of disease rates in a specific population subgroup in order to estimate trends in the larger population.
seroconversion. When people develop antibodies to HIV, they "seroconvert" from antibody-negative to antibody-positive. It may take from as little as 1 week to several months or more after infection with HIV for antibodies to the virus to develop. After antibodies to HIV appear in the blood, a person should test positive on antibody tests. See Window Period.
serodiscordant couple. A couple in which both partners do not have the same serostatus, i.e. one partner is HIV positive and the other is HIV negative.
seroprevalence. As related to HIV infection, the proportion of persons who have serologic (i.e., pertaining to serum) evidence of HIV infection at any given time.
serostatus. Results of a blood test for specific antibodies.
serum. The fluid, non-cellular portion of blood that remains after coagulation (lymphatic fluid).
sharps. Any object which may penetrate the skin (needles, scalpels, lancets, broken glass).
SOP. Standard operating procedure
specificity. The chance that an HIV test result will be negative if HIV antibodies are not present, i.e. if test B is 99.5% specific, in a panel of 1000 specimens of which 500 are truly HIV-positive, it will identify 498 as HIV-negative persons and give no more than 5 false positives. Normally HIV test kits should have >98% specificity.
STD. Sexually transmitted disease
sterilization. The complete destruction of all micro-organisms
STI. Sexually transmitted infections. Also called venereal disease (VD), they are infections spread by the transfer of organisms from person to person during sexual contact.
STW. Sex trade worker
syndrome. A group of symptoms typical of a distinctive disease which frequently occur together and so are labeled collectively
syndromic management. Treating a patient for all likely causes of a symptom or sign of an STI, using an algorithm rather than results from a laboratory-based diagnosis.
TB. Tuberculosis
tiebreaker test. Used when discordant results occur between the initial screening test and the confirmatory test (negative result). This third test uses a different assay.
VDRL. Venereal disease research laboratory (syphilis test)
viral load. The amount of HIV in the circulating blood. Viral load and CD4 counts are both predictors of the risk of HIV disease progression. Viral load testing for HIV infection is also being used to determine when to initiate and/or change therapy.
WER. Weekly Epidemiological Record (WHO publication)
western blot test. A laboratory test for specific antibodies (e.g., to HIV). The Western blot assay is more specific than the ELISA, and is used as a confirmatory test if an ELISA is positive.
WHO/GPA. World Health Organization/Global Program on AIDS
WHO. World Health Organization
window period. The period of time between when a person is first infected with HIV and when they develop antibodies, usually between two weeks and three months, and sometimes up to six months. During the window period standard antibody tests would test negative, but the person is still infectious to others
