Molecular pathology selected abstracts
September 2026—HIV remains a major global public health concern, with an estimated 40.8 million people living with the virus in 2024. The challenge is particularly striking in low- and middle-income countries, where access to diagnostic testing may be limited. The World Health Organization’s universal test-and-treat strategy recommends that patients diagnosed with HIV immediately begin antiretroviral therapy regardless of their CD4 cell count or clinical stage. This strategy has placed greater emphasis on routine viral load monitoring, leading to a marked decline in CD4 testing and the discontinuation of many point-of-care CD4 platforms.