Three-Part Webinar Series: Speed-Up, Scale-Up TB Testing

4 November 2024

The Diagnostics Equity Consortium (DEC) and the Global TB Community Advisory Board (TB CAB) hosted a three-part study club online series exploring the evolving TB diagnostic landscape and strategies to increase TB testing coverage.

The first session, Maximizing Impact of Newer and Emerging Diagnostics, was held on 17 September 2024, and dove into the current TB testing gap exploring the latest testing tools and strategies that have the potential to drive change.

Speakers were: Patrick Agbassi, Co-Chair, Global TB Community Advisory Board (TB CAB); Tejaswini (Teju) Dharmapuri Vachaspathi, TB Project Associate, Treatment Access Group (TAG); Morten Ruhwald, Director, Tuberculosis Programme, FIND. Moderator was Alice Kayongo, Senior Associate, Center for Global Health Policy & Politics, O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law.

The second session, National Diagnostic Networks: Which TB Tests Go Where?, was held on 10 October 2024, and dove into how national diagnostic networks can be optimized for a greater reach. The speakers explored the placement and distribution of TB tests, given test specifications, health system requirements, and the preferences of communities.

Speakers were: Michael Campbell, Director, New Market Opportunities Team, Clinton Health Access Initiative; Ashley Kallarakal, Senior Program Manager, Clinton Health Access Initiative; Talemwa Nalugwa, Program Manager, Uganda Tuberculosis Implementation Research Consortium, Walimu. Moderator was Alice Kayongo, Senior Associate, Center for Global Health Policy & Politics, O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law.

The third session, Benefits & Trade-offs of Point-of-Care Testing, was held on 30 October 2024, and unpacked the benefits of near- and point-of-care TB tests that can reach more people with TB. The panelists also dove into the trade-offs and considerations while assessing the capabilities of the diagnostics pipeline.

Speakers were: Blossom Makhubalo, Global TB Community Advisory Board (TB CAB); Olayide Akanni, National Coordinator, Nigeria Civil Society for the Eradication of Tuberculosis (TB Network); Nazir Ismail, Head of the Department for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Wits University and NHLS Charlotte Maxeke Academic Complex. Moderater was Alice Kayongo, Senior Associate, Center for Global Health Policy & Politics, O’Neill Institute for National & Global Health Law.

ABOUT THE ORGANIZERS

Diagnostics Equity Consortium (DEC) is hosted by the Pan-African Treatment Access Movement (PATAM) and the Center for Global Health Policy & Politics at Georgetown University’s O’Neill Institute and School of Health. DEC is open to civil society and community organizations and individuals committed to equitable access to diagnostics across diseases/health issues. For more information, click here.

TB CAB: The Global Tuberculosis Community Advisory Board (TB CAB) is a group of strong, research-literate community activists from HIV and TB networks around the world dedicated to increasing community involvement in TB research and access to tools to fight TB. More information here: www.globaltbcab.org.