Diagnostics Equity Consortium: Close the Deadly TB Testing Gaps in Asia-Pacific

23 April 2025

Civil society released a call to action during a Global Fund-hosted meeting earlier in April with National TB Programs, lab managers, and other stakeholders from the South-East Asia and Western-Pacific regions to plan early for the introduction of new near point-of-care sample types and tests for TB.

The call to action urges governments and donors to address critical gaps in TB testing and care by increasing domestic funding, decentralizing and expanding access to rapid molecular diagnostics — especially in underserved communities — and adopting innovative, point-of-care technologies. It emphasizes the need for ambitious, measurable implementation plans, stronger community engagement, and coordinated efforts to make life-saving TB diagnostics affordable and universally accessible, particularly in the face of reduced international funding and persistent barriers for vulnerable populations.

Access the call to action here.