Vision
To ensure that all people with TB can access convenient, accurate and rapid TB diagnosis.
Goals
- Develop rapid, affordable tests for diagnosis or triage that do not rely on sputum and are used at the point of care.
- Develop accurate DST for critical medicines, including through sequencing-based tests and strategies for early detection of resistance to the medicines used in regimens.
- Improve tools for detecting TB infection (i.e., latent TB), subclinical TB and testing for risk of progression to active disease.
- Develop and harness AI and machine learning-based tests.
Objectives
- Ensure expanded and equitable access to critical knowledge and resources that enable the development of new diagnostic tools.
- Develop and evaluate a diverse portfolio of new tests and solutions.
- Demonstrate patient benefit and predict impact within the entire health system.
- Ensure that WHO-approved diagnostics are made available and appropriately used in relevant countries.
Governance and Structure
The NDWG is currently co-chaired by Dr. Morten Ruhwald, Head of Tuberculosis, FIND, and Dr. Daniela Cirillo, Head of Emerging Pathogens Unit, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan. The Secretariat is housed by FIND. A constituency-based Core Group with representation from various stakeholders provides strategic direction.
Five time-limited Task Forces are responsible for implementing targeted projects in support of priorities defined by the NDWG as part of the Global Plan to End TB:
- Build consensus and foster knowledge sharing to enable the identification of suitable biomarkers or biosignatures for TB point-of-care tests (Biomarkers for POCTs)
- Integration of next-generation sequencing and updated guidance to test developers on next-generation DST in alignment with new treatment guidelines and future drug regimens (NGS and next-generation DST)
- Foster development and evaluation of tests for progression of TBI to active disease (TBI and test of progression)
- Engaging TB communities in TB diagnostics R&D and implementation (Task Force on Community Engagement)
- Preservation of New Drugs and Regimes. (see more)