After months of preparation by Partec, Highlands Hope, and the TANWAT CTC and some technical training at Partec's Nairobi offices, Highlands Hope coordinator Betty Liduke was able to open the box and unveil our new Partec CyFlow mini-POC CD4 and CD4% counter.

The fully portable Partec POC (point of care) system will allow our health care professionals and volunteers to take advanced diagnostics for HIV+ patients to the villages we serve, reducing the burden of traveling and, we hope, enhancing the quality of care they receive. Because the Partec counters also assess CD4%, pediatric patients can also receive the benefits of the new technology.

Highlands Hope is working with its long-time partner the Ingram School of Nursing at McGill University to do a qualitative assessment of the impact of the Partec CyFlow mini-POC system on workers and patients. This is expected to be the first step in research that will eventually include quantitative aspects as well.

Local health officials are keenly interested in the project, recognizing that an effective roll out in the villages served by Highlands Hope could provide a solution that can be extended across the Njombe Region.