AHRI’s Mycobacterial Diseases Research Team have successfully conducted a kickoff meeting for the SeroSelectTB project with the Regional Health Bureau representatives, West Gojjam zonal Health office Deputy head and TB focal person, Heads and TB focal persons from five study Woredas at Bahir Dar, Amhara Region on August 8, 2022.
During the kickoff platform, the meeting participants were exposed to the overview and implementation plan of the SeroSelectTB project with the aim to evaluate the feasibility, accuracy and effect of a rapid point-of-care serological triage test (SeroSelectTB test) for active TB where the performance of the test in reducing the diagnostic delay and expediting treatment will also be assessed.
In addition, discussions were held to consider best avenues in implementing the project at the local context.
With new diagnostic tools being essential to curb the global tuberculosis (TB), more so in high burden countries such as Ethiopia, this reliable rapid test will be instrumental in hastening same-day referral, confirmatory testing and timely TB treatment. At a wider scope, this expedited diagnosis will reduce diagnostic delay that increase case detection and expedite treatment which eventually leads to reduction of Mtb transmission.
During the week (August 10-12), the research team will also meet with various health care workers from health centers and health posts to provide training sessions primarily on how to use the SeroSelectTB test, obtaining TB related baseline data and the appropriate techniques of data management that include data capturing tools through the Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap) software.
SeroSelectTB is a multinational project coordinated by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health (Oslo, Norway). Partners include, Armauer Hansen Research Institute (Ethiopia), Stellenbosch University and Lateral Flow Laboratories (South Africa), Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College (Tanzania), National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (Netherlands), InVivo Biotech Services GmbH (Germany), Aether Dynamics Consulting & Trading GmbH (Austria), and E-MEDDIA (France).
The SeroSelectTB project receives generous support from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) which funds research addressing the prevention and treatment of poverty-related infectious diseases like TB in sub-Saharan Africa.