Letters Advocating for the Adoption of Near-Point-of-Care TB tests

24 July 2026

Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the Global TB CAB have a long history of advocating for the uptake of new health innovations, influencing global and national decision-making, and supporting policy translation. In March 2026, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended a new class of tests — near point-of-care (NPOC) molecular tests — that offer faster, more decentralized, more affordable, and more accessible TB diagnosis.

This is the first major TB diagnostic innovation since GeneXpert, with the potential to expand access to molecular testing and help close the deadly TB diagnostic gap.

At the same time, the Global Fund’s Grant Cycle 8 (GC8) has opened a critical new window for funding national health programs. GC8 is a three-year operational and funding period running from 2026 to 2028. The Global Fund is encouraging country-led prioritization and has identified NPOC tests as a priority TB investment area. It is also incentivizing early-adopter countries by offering new NPOC tests at a reduced price when purchased with domestic funds.

Members of the Global TB CAB have been working to influence the uptake of NPOC TB tests in their home countries through GC8 proposals and beyond. As part of this effort, members have sent letters to their Country Coordinating Mechanisms (CCMs) and National TB Programs (NTPs) to advocate for the inclusion of NPOC tests and ambitious testing targets in GC8 funding requests.

Below are the letters sent from each country:

1. 1st July 2026: Letter to the members of the Technical Working Group for Tuberculosis in Moldova, sent by Moldova Society Against Tuberculosis (SMIT)
2. 6th July 2026: Letter to the chair and other members of India Country Coordinating Mechanism, sent by Access to Rights and Knowledge (ARK) Foundation