TY - JOUR
KW - Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
KW - Infectious Diseases
KW - Point-of-care diagnostics
AU - Bharadwaj M
AU - Bengtson M
AU - Golverdingen M
AU - Waling L
AU - Dekker C
AU - Ndung’u JM
AB - <jats:p>Inadequate and nonintegrated diagnostics are the Achilles’ heel of global efforts to monitor, control, and eradicate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). While treatment is often available, NTDs are endemic among marginalized populations, due to the unavailability or inadequacy of diagnostic tests that cause empirical misdiagnoses. The need of the hour is early diagnosis at the point-of-care (PoC) of NTD patients. Here, we review the status quo of PoC diagnostic tests and practices for all of the 24 NTDs identified in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2021–2030 roadmap, based on their different diagnostic requirements. We discuss the capabilities and shortcomings of current diagnostic tests, identify diagnostic needs, and formulate prerequisites of relevant PoC tests. Next to technical requirements, we stress the importance of availability and awareness programs for establishing PoC tests that fit endemic resource-limited settings. Better understanding of NTD diagnostics will pave the path for setting realistic goals for healthcare in areas with minimal resources, thereby alleviating the global healthcare burden.</jats:p>
BT - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
DO - 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009405
IS - 6
LA - eng
N2 - <jats:p>Inadequate and nonintegrated diagnostics are the Achilles’ heel of global efforts to monitor, control, and eradicate neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). While treatment is often available, NTDs are endemic among marginalized populations, due to the unavailability or inadequacy of diagnostic tests that cause empirical misdiagnoses. The need of the hour is early diagnosis at the point-of-care (PoC) of NTD patients. Here, we review the status quo of PoC diagnostic tests and practices for all of the 24 NTDs identified in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2021–2030 roadmap, based on their different diagnostic requirements. We discuss the capabilities and shortcomings of current diagnostic tests, identify diagnostic needs, and formulate prerequisites of relevant PoC tests. Next to technical requirements, we stress the importance of availability and awareness programs for establishing PoC tests that fit endemic resource-limited settings. Better understanding of NTD diagnostics will pave the path for setting realistic goals for healthcare in areas with minimal resources, thereby alleviating the global healthcare burden.</jats:p>
PB - Public Library of Science (PLoS)
PY - 2021
EP - e0009405
T2 - PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases
TI - Diagnosing point-of-care diagnostics for neglected tropical diseases
UR - https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0009405&type=printable
VL - 15
SN - 1935-2735
ER -