Diagnostics
The Diagnostics Pillar is co-convened by FIND and the Global Fund, with strong support from WHO, working closely with over 50 global health partners to scale-up equitable access to COVID-19 diagnostic technologies and tools.
Achievements
(April 2020 – 31 March 2023)
-
193 million tests have been procured and 182 million delivered to over 180 countries.
​
-
Almost 3,000 laboratories in 117 countries and territories engaged in global external quality assessment of SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing.
​
-
US$ 1,017 million awarded in funding from the Global Fund’s C19RM to countries for diagnostics.
IMPACT STORY: GRASSROOTS GENOMIC SEQUENCING IN INDIA
​
In India, FIND partnered with the Institute of Genomics and Integrated Biology (CSIR-IGIB) to boost sequencing capacity across the country. The partnership aims to decentralize genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, down to the district level, by setting up “MicroLabs” that enable sequencing, analysis and interpretation of sequencing data with minimal turnaround time in places with limited infrastructure.
​
With the risk of a new variant of concern mounting by the day, the importance of point-of-care genome sequencing to track the evolution of the virus is also rising. The ACT-Accelerator has a track record of providing support to facilitate variant detection. It helped build the capacity to expand the use of next-generation sequencing for genomic surveillance in Southern Africa, which enabled the early detection of the Omicron variant.
​
In addition to helping detect variants, conducting genomic sequencing at a more local level also improves understanding of the mutations underlying vaccination breakthroughs, which can ultimately inform the development of new vaccines and identification of who might still be at high risk, even after vaccination.
​
RESOURCES
Explore testing rates, changes over time, molecular vs rapid test data, and more.
