“Strong laboratories and well-trained laboratory specialists are critical to well-functioning health systems, enabling clinicians and health workers to diagnose and treat a range of diseases and conditions, Ambassador Eric Goosby, head of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Global Health Diplomacy and the U.S. global AIDS coordinator, writes in the PEPFAR.gov blog. “Over the past nine years, PEPFAR has invested approximately $3 billion to create and strengthen lab networks, lab commodities, and the lab workforce, particularly in southern Africa,” he states, highlighting a number of examples. He continues, “Moving forward, PEPFAR will continue to rely on strong lab systems for the deployment of new, appropriate technologies — including point of care technologies — to test for viral load, CD4, HIV and TB drug resistance, and early infant diagnosis of HIV, among others” (June 2013).