Advancing Diagnostics in Developing Regions/Bridging the Diagnostic Divide
Access to reliable and affordable diagnostics is crucial for effective healthcare delivery and disease management in both developed and developing countries. However, developing countries often face significant challenges in establishing and maintaining robust diagnostic systems, resulting in diagnostic gaps that hamper the quality of healthcare services and the overall well-being of their populations. In this session, we propose to address critical issues such as developing and implementing sustainable and innovative diagnostic solutions that can enhance diagnostic capabilities in resource-constrained settings.
Furthermore, in the session, we would like to showcase examples of innovative solutions, such as the CSIR and CapeBio co-developed COVID-19 test kit and point-of-care diagnostics, which satisfy the WHO ASSURED criteria: Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User‐friendly, Rapid and Robust, Equipment‐free and Deliverable to end-users. The session also explores possible diagnostic device fabrication opportunities in developing countries. The session could also be used as a platform for creating solutions and proposals that can foster effective collaborative efforts between governments, international organizations, academia, and the private sector to address the diagnostic gap comprehensively.