Tag: Policy

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Featured Work - Awareness & Advocacy

Let’s Test Toolkit

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed global gaps in testing for communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and these gaps disproportionately affect individuals and families in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). A staggering 81% of the population in LMICs don’t have access to many of the most simple tests available (Lancet, 2021).1

UNICEF has responded to this global gap in testing by developing the “Let’s Test” Toolkit, which aims to support Advocacy Champions in their goal to increase the use of quality testing in their own communities, through both increased supply and demand generation. This Toolkit, utilizing evidence based strategies,  provides step-by-step guides and assets to support impactful and productive engagement with policymakers to advocate for increased supply of quality testing. Communications assets, facilitation tools, memorable info-bites and content for social media campaigns are also provided to drive informed community-level demand and use of quality testing in LMICs.

The “Let’s Test” Toolkit has been informed by research in five LMICs and was designed with consideration for global health best practices for engagement, advocacy and social behavior change communication (SBCC). Practical guidance is also included to enable users of the Toolkit to tailor advocacy and communication assets for specific country and community contexts. 

Access the Toolkit here to learn more: lets-test.org.

1 Lancet Commission on Diagnostics: transforming access to diagnostics (2021)

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Related Resources Resource Centre - Reports

ACT-Accelerator Transition Report

The Transition Report includes a summary of achievements against each transition objective, related monitoring and coordination activities (e.g., supported by the ACT-A Tracking and Monitoring Task Force), and a Pillar-by-Pillar update on implementation progress. It reflects inputs from across the ACT-A partners as well as from recent reports and meetings, including the 3rd meeting convened by the ACT-A Council Tracking and Monitoring Task Force on 31 March 2023. 

Reflections on the way forward are provided in the final section of the report, with quarterly information (for Q4 2022 and Q1 2023) included as annexes. It also provides insights into how ACT-A partners have mainstreamed their COVID-19 work and will carry forward ongoing activities as part of their regular programmes and support.

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Related Resources Resource Centre - Reports

Third Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator Tracking & Monitoring Taskforce Outcome Statement Report – 31 March 2023

This report is an outcome of the third meeting of the ACT-Accelerator Tracking and Monitoring Taskforce, held on 31st March 2023. This taskforce – co-chaired by India and the United States – continues key elements of the work of the Facilitation Council and its working groups. The report includes an outcome statement by the Co-Chairs and provides a briefing on the current status of the rollout of COVID-19 tools, including the institutional arrangements being put in place by ACT-A agencies to ensure ongoing access to COVID-19 tools.  More information on the taskforce can be found here.

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Related Resources Resource Centre - Reports

Update on the rollout of COVID-19 tools: a report from the ACT-A Tracking & Monitoring Task Force – 15 February 2023

This report is an outcome of the second meeting of the ACT-Accelerator Tracking and Monitoring Taskforce, held on 15th February 2023. This taskforce – co-chaired by India and the United States – continues key elements of the work of the Facilitation Council and its working groups. The report includes an outcome statement by the Co-Chairs and provides a briefing on the current status of the rollout of COVID-19 tools, including the institutional arrangements being put in place by ACT-A agencies to ensure ongoing access to COVID-19 tools.  More information on the taskforce can be found here.

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Add Resources - Quality Assurance & Policy

WHO interim guidance: antigen-detection in the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection

This is an interim guidance published by the World Health Organization on how to select rapid antigen tests and when and where to use them.

Rapid antigen tests for SARS-CoV-2 are less expensive and faster. They should be used for primary case detection in symptomatic individuals and asymptomatic individuals who are at high risk of COVID-19, such as health workers. 

The tests should also be used for contact tracing, conducting outbreak investigations, and to monitor trends of disease incidence in communities. 

There are some variations in test performance, but these tests are very much suitable in track, trace, and isolate programmes aimed at interrupting community transmission.

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Add Resources - Quality Assurance & Policy

WHO interim guidance: Recommendations for national SARS-CoV-2 testing strategies and diagnostic capacities

In June 2021, the World Health Organization issued recommendations for SARS-CoV-2 national testing strategies.

At the time, the deadly Delta variant was the dominant variant globally.

WHO recommendations highlight the importance of diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2 as a critical component for both preventing the spread of the virus and controlling outbreaks. 

It advised that countries should have testing strategies in place that are context specific and that testing must be connected to other public health strategies like tracking, tracing, and treatment.

WHO’s list of who should be tested

  • Everyone with symptoms meeting the case definition for COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status or prior infection. 
  • Symptomatic individuals must be tested first and if there are not enough tests, those who are at high risk of severe disease must be tested first. 
  • Others for whom testing must be prioritized include health workers, hospitalized patients, and those who first showed symptoms in congregate settings.

Asymptomatic individuals should be tested if they were in close contact with  patients with a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, health workers or long-term care workers.

What tests must be used?

PCR tests remain the gold standard. 

High-quality antigen tests can be used to scale up testing programmes fast.

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Featured Work - Quality Assurance & Policy

WHO interim guidance: Use of SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 self-testing 

In March 2022, the World Health Organization published its first guide to self-testing for COVID-19 using rapid antigen tests.

“The goal is to contribute to the effective management of COVID-19 as a public health problem,” their guidelines read.

The document emphasizes  that this option must be offered in addition to professionally administered testing.

WHO further explains that there is evidence showing users can use self-tests in a reliable and accurate manner, and that it is both acceptable and feasible to use the tests.

An explanation of when self-testing will be appropriate must be provided, as must complete instructions tailored for country specific contexts.

Clear messaging is also needed on what to do with the results of a test and what individual responsibilities will be.

Other recommendations include:

  • COVID-19 self-test kits should meet the existing World Health Organization (WHO) standards.
  • Self-tests should be accepted for screening and diagnostic purposes.
  • If positive, a self-test should, if appropriate in a country-specific context, be sufficient to link a positive-tested patient with clinical care and therapeutics. 
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Add Resources - Quality Assurance & Policy

SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic tests: An implementation guide

This guide, produced by FIND and the World Health Organization, provides information on implementing diagnostic programs using rapid antigen tests. 

It shows how rapid antigen testing can be implemented to support individual case management, contact tracing, surveillance and outbreak investigations.

The guide stresses the use of strict testing protocols and clear communication, and the need to protect healthcare workers against transmission. 

It outlines the different types of available testing  and where rapid antigen testing fits in. Rapid antigen tests are used to find a protein the body produces in response to an infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

It produces fast results and is easy to use in low-resource settings where laboratories are unavailable. 

The guide provides step-by-step instructions on the use of these tests and how best to communicate and follow up on patients after a test result is obtained. 

It also explains the best practice of testing within 5 to 7 days of the onset of symptoms. 

While rapid tests are easy to use in most instances, the guide lists where they should not be used. 

This includes testing patients without symptoms unless they are a close contact of a confirmed case; where there are no appropriate infection control measures in place; where test results will not influence the treatment of the patients and for screening at points of entry.

The use of rapid antigen tests is also not advised  prior to elective surgery or blood donation.

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Add Resources - Scaling Up & Sustainability

Technical guidance and courses on COVID-19 offered by WHO

WHO has published guidance and advice to help governments, health professionals and the general public respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Ranging across multiple areas and numerous countries, the common thread through the technical guidance is the need for governments to make informed decisions and to clearly communicate with their citizens. 

OpenWHO, WHO’s interactive, web-based platform, also offers online courses to people preparing to work in epidemics, pandemics and health emergencies, or who already doing so. It has courses on COVID-19 in many of the world’s most commonly spoken languages.

WHO strengthens public health laboratory systems throughout the health emergencies preparedness, readiness response and recovery cycle.

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Add Resources - Quality Assurance & Policy

Global genomic surveillance strategy for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential, 2022–2032

Looking at the decade 2022-2032, WHO presents a global genomic surveillance strategy for pathogens with pandemic and epidemic potential.

The goal is to strengthen and scale surveillance of these pathogens to enable quality, timely and appropriate public health actions across local to global surveillance systems.

WHO’s strategy outlines five objectives with accompanying actions that need implementation plans.

It also highlights considerations to build global genomic surveillance over the next 10 years, as well as monitoring and evaluation mechanisms.

The report includes two annexes:

  • Strategy development and stakeholder engagement
  • Key WHO assets for the strategy.

Read report here