Rapid TB diagnostics: Advising the WHO
Tuberculosis (TB) is the world’s second-biggest infectious killer after COVID-19. Over 10 million people were diagnosed with the disease in 2022, and the threat of drug-resistant strains is rising. Professor Yemisi Takwoingi led the World Health Organization’s (WHO) commissioned systematic reviews of life-saving TB diagnostics.
Working with the WHO Global TB Programme through Enterprise’s Academic Consultancy Service, she led a team of 24 international experts to synthesise the latest evidence on the accuracy and impact of rapid molecular diagnostics for TB detection. “We go beyond just looking at public, published evidence. We also reach out to experts in the field to identify completed studies that are yet to be published,” she explains.
The findings were used to inform 2024 updates to the WHO’s guidelines for rapid TB testing. It is prioritising early diagnosis and treatment as part of its goal to eliminate the disease by 2030.
There is a big emphasis on diagnostics because if we diagnose early, we can start treatment earlier and break the chain of transmission.
Professor Takwoingi is part of a University of Birmingham team contributing world-leading methodology for evaluating the accuracy of diagnostic tests. Their methodology has informed more than 200 clinical guidelines, and was recognised in REF2021 research impact ratings, with the highest-possible four-star rating. “Our team has an international reputation for evidence synthesis and the evaluation of diagnostics,” she notes.
Enterprise assisted Professor Takwoingi with contract and invoicing services for her work with the WHO. “It was great to have that management taken away, so I could just focus on the science,” she says.