NIP is the largest diagnostic pathology service provider in Namibia and employs over 450 employees. It handles all public health sector pathology testing and provides an extensive array of disease monitoring services. NIP services contribute to maximizing the effective delivery of care in today's complex healthcare system. Laboratory results provide information which enables physicians and other healthcare professionals to make appropriate evidence-based diagnostic or therapeutic decisions for their patients. Diagnostic pathology services have a direct impact on many aspects of patient care including, but not limited to, length of stay and resource utilization. The company prides itself in providing medical laboratory services which reach far beyond servicing Namibia's public healthcare needs, but also involves the establishment of an organization that can effectively compete with private pathology providers, offering high quality, accessible and value-for-money services beyond Namibia's borders. NIP has strong strategic alliances within the health-care industry enabling the company to align itself with best global practices. The services which NIP offers are crucial. Without medical laboratories, it would be complex to detect and diagnose certain diseases or conditions and to monitor the progress and results of treatment. The growing challenges brought about by diseases such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB) and malaria has led to an increase in the utilization of NIP laboratories. One of the most recent areas of focus is the establishment of the molecular diagnostics unit, which operates a comprehensive diagnostic service based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. The unit currently performs specialized tests such as HIV viral load, diagnosis of HIV in infants (HIV DNA PCR), chlamydia, gonorrhea, and swine flu.