GADx, in partnership with an international consortium, is revolutionising healthcare in low- and middle-income countries through the HOLICARE project. HOLICARE is a groundbreaking initiative established to improve the diagnosis of respiratory tract infections (RTIs), addressing current challenges in low- and middle-income countries.
RTIs are a leading cause of death among infectious diseases worldwide (reference WHO). They are one of the major Poverty-Related Diseases (PRDs), representing 40% of deaths and 17% of cases reported in Sub-Saharan Africa with 2.4 million deaths caused by RTIs reported in 2016.
The project converges around four pillars: diagnostics, network and resources, academy, and access. While GADx plays a role in all pillars, our focus is on the development of lateral flow diagnostic tests for COVID-19, influenza, and respiratory syncytial virus, with the goal of having these tests transferred for manufacture in Sub-Saharan Africa.
A goal of the project is to have these tests conform to the REASSURED criteria1, namely Real-time connectivity, Ease of specimen collection, Affordable, Sensitive, Specific, User-friendly, Rapid and Robust, Equipment-free, and Deliverable to end-users. The development program considers each of these criteria.
Drs Yue-Hua Dou and Annelyse Duvoix attended the first annual HOLICARE Diagnostics Workshop in Addis Ababa, organised by the Armauer Hansen Research Institute. The GADx team presented on lateral flow development, with a hands-on workshop on lateral flow lamination.
The clinical team of GADx is leading the clinical trial for HOLICARE. This trial aims to investigate the clinical validation of innovative microfluidic-based technologies designed for the detection of Lower Respiratory Tract Infections. Spanning a duration of 3 years from the commencement of recruitment, the trial will encompass a cohort exceeding 1000 participants hailing from three African nations, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Senegal.
This exciting project is funded by the European Commission as part of the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Programme, under Grant Agreement Nº 101057596, and executed by a dedicated project team comprising GADx and an international team of experts (see website for full details).
The team will travel to Senegal, Ethiopia, and Uganda for clinical trial preparation.
References
1 Land KJ, Boeras DI, Chen XS, Ramsay AR, Peeling RW. REASSURED diagnostics to inform disease control strategies, strengthen health systems and improve patient outcomes. Nat Microbiol. 2019 Jan;4(1):46-54. doi: 10.1038/s41564-018-0295-3. Epub 2018 Dec 13. PMID: 30546093; PMCID: PMC7097043.