Delays

Contributing factors

Delay one^*

Mothers delay in early return or not bringing the infants

Delay two^#

Delay in sending the sample for DBS-PCR, Delay of the courier/postage system. Reported reasons: limit number (minimum number of samples) for courier, poor cooperation of postal offices, and loss of samples on the way of transport and the need to resend the sample twice.

Delay three^#

Delay in laboratory processing in the regional laboratory center, Delay in resending the result or delay of the courier/postage system. Reported reasons: light interruption at the central/regional laboratory, DBS testing Lab chemicals use processing (under sampling), oversampling/overloading.

Delay four^*

Delay of the mothers/caregivers in returning to receive the test result, delay in the health professional early enrolling the infants into care. Reasons reported: lack of reminding the mothers as most mothers forget the appointment, loss of the mothers and/or death of the mothers/parents.