Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine | Rapid Low-Cost Diagnosis Within Reach for TB ‘Missed Millions,’ Researchers Find

25 September 2026

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine news release

Researchers at Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) have concluded that rapid diagnosis is within reach for the ‘missed millions’ of people living with TB.

These findings were generated by the largest ever study of “pooled” TB testing, carried out by Start4All, a four-year Unitaid-funded partnership led by LSTM with the Stop TB Partnership and research partners in seven high TB burden countries.

The study found that pooled sputum testing, examining samples from several people in a single molecular test cartridge, halves the number of cartridges needed to make successful diagnoses.

The research team’s paper on the performance and costs of pooled testing for molecular detection of TB has been published in The Lancet Global Health.

Read the full news release here.

 

Source: Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

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SEE ALSO:

• Stop TB Partnership | Save 50% on TB Diagnostics Costs by Using Pooled Testing, Largest Study to Date Shows