The ASSIST is an 8-item questionnaire developed by an international group of substance abuse researchers for the World Health Organization. It's purpose is to detect psychoactive substance use and related problems among primary care patients. The ASSIST provides information about: the substances people have ever used in their lifetime; the substances they have used in the past three months; problems related to substance use; risk of current or future harm; level of dependence; and injecting drug use. Substances addressed include: tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamine type stimulants, sedatives, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, and other drugs.

The SAM is an expanded and more detailed version of the substance use section of the CIDI. The four diagnostic sections cover tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and caffeine. The drug section include amphetamines and other stimulants, cannabinoids, cocaine, PCP and other hallucinogens, inhalants, heroin and other opiates, barbiturates and other sedatives and tranquilizers. The SAM includes questions about onset and recency of specific symptoms, as well as the specific withdrawal symptoms and physical, social, and psychological consequences for each category of substances used. Also included are the quantity and frequency of both the heaviest and past 12 month use, and ages associated with use and remission. The SAM also assesses the respondent’s impairment and treatment seeking.

Western Blot confirmatory HIV test, using blood sample.

HIV RNA viral load test, using plasma samples.

Ag&Ab enzyme immunoassay for qualitative determination of antigens or antibodies to HIV type 1 and/or type 2 in serum or plasma; and HIV-reactive IgG and IgM test using whole blood, serum, or plasma.

Blood specimens sent to lab for CD4 testing using plasma samples; or on-site via PIMA POC CD4 analyzer (Alere Healthcare, USA) using venous whole blood samples.