New Rapid TB Testing to Reach 13 Countries, Bringing Life-Saving Diagnosis Closer to Communities
16 June 2026
GENEVA – Tuberculosis (TB), the world's leading infectious disease killer, claims more than 1 million lives every year despite being preventable and curable. One of the biggest barriers to ending TB is that millions of people still lack access to rapid, accurate diagnosis. To help close this gap, 13 countries are preparing to roll out a new, first-in-class near-point-of-care (NPOC) molecular diagnostic test for TB across health facilities as part of an Early Adopter initiative driven by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (the Global Fund).
Supported by the Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and implemented on the ground by the Aurum Institute, the initiative will deliver nearly 3 million fast, accurate TB tests to people and places that have never had access before – in Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Viet Nam and Zambia.
In 2024, an estimated 10.8 million people fell ill with TB globally, yet millions were either not diagnosed or not reported. Closing this diagnostic gap is essential to finding people earlier, starting treatment sooner and reducing transmission. The introduction of near-point-of-care molecular testing is designed to help countries do exactly that.
This rollout follows a recent World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation to use NPOC molecular tests as the initial diagnostic tool for adults and adolescents with symptoms of pulmonary TB, replacing the use of century-old microscopy for TB diagnosis. These tests can be used in primary care centers, where most people with TB first seek care, helping to close one of the largest gaps in the TB response: timely diagnosis at the community level.
This new class of NPOC tests delivers results in under an hour and offers significantly higher accuracy than smear microscopy, which has long been the only diagnostic available in many decentralized settings. Small, lightweight, simple to use and with battery powered capabilities, these devices can operate in clinics without reliable electricity, making them ideal for last mile health facilities.
This shift is expected to reduce case finding costs, increase equity and dramatically expand access to WHO recommended rapid diagnostics. By replacing smear microscopy with a far more accurate molecular test, countries will be able to detect many more people with TB who would otherwise be missed. Earlier diagnosis means earlier treatment, better health outcomes and fewer opportunities for TB to spread within families and communities.
“Benin is proud to be one of the first countries to roll out this new generation of near point-of-care TB tests,” said Minister of Health Benjamin Hounkpatin. “This marks a major step forward in our efforts to make quality TB services accessible to all, including people living in remote communities. By bringing rapid, accurate diagnosis closer to the front lines of care, we can find people earlier, begin treatment faster, and save many lives.”
“What is most powerful about this moment is not only the technology, but also the ability to reach people with TB where they are, at the very first point of care,” said Professor Dave Clark, CEO of the Aurum Institute. “By supporting countries to implement these tools at scale, we are achieving meaningful impact at population level.”
“Near-point-of-care molecular testing can transform how countries detect and treat TB,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund. “By bringing accurate diagnosis closer to communities, we can find people earlier, reduce transmission, and close the diagnostic gap that has slowed progress for too long.”
“This innovation in TB diagnosis must galvanize more investment in TB care,” said Miles Kemplay, Executive Director of CIFF. “For too long, TB has been chronically under-funded, with few donor partners making it a priority. Now is the time for funders and philanthropists to get behind national health systems as they go to scale. These new tools work, they’re cost-effective, and they will save countless lives. Helping the most vulnerable get diagnosed quickly and start treatment faster is one of the best investments we can make.”
The tests are now available at affordable pricing, making decentralized molecular testing affordable while delivering high-quality performance. Importantly, NPOC testing complements more centralized molecular diagnostic platforms like GeneXpert, which remain essential for diagnosing drug resistant TB and performing additional testing for people who test positive following an NPOC test. As more people are tested at the primary care level, demand for drug resistance testing is expected to grow.
Tuberculosis remains the world's leading infectious disease killer, causing more than one million deaths each year. Despite major advances in prevention, diagnosis and treatment, millions of people continue to face barriers to accessing care. Expanding access to rapid, accurate diagnosis is one of the most effective ways to close this gap, ensure people begin treatment earlier and reduce transmission in communities.
The Global Fund is the largest external financier of TB programs worldwide and is working closely with high burden countries to support the introduction and scale up of NPOC molecular testing with a pipeline of innovative products that will become available in the next 2-3 years. Through catalytic investments, technical assistance and country grants, the Global Fund, in collaboration with CIFF, is supporting the programmatic introduction of NPOC and its scale-up in these 13 countries.
The 13 countries that are adopting NPOC testing early are helping lead a global shift toward decentralized, patient-centered TB care – bringing accurate diagnosis closer to communities and accelerating progress toward ending TB.
About the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
The Global Fund is a worldwide partnership to defeat AIDS, TB and malaria and ensure a healthier, safer, more equitable future for all. We raise and invest up to US$4 billion a year to fight the deadliest infectious diseases, challenge the injustice that fuels them, and strengthen health systems and pandemic preparedness in more than 100 of the hardest hit countries. We unite world leaders, communities, civil society, health workers and the private sector to find solutions that have the most impact, and we take them to scale worldwide. Since 2002, the Global Fund partnership has saved 70 million lives.
For more information, please visit: www.theglobalfund.org
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Contact:
Ann Vaessen
ann.vaessen@theglobalfund.org
The Global Fund
Source: https://www.theglobalfund.org/en/news/2026/2026-06-16-new-rapid-tb-testing-13-countries-lifesaving-diagnosis-closer-to-communities/
“Reproduced with permission - The Global Fund”
The Global Fund
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