In this webinar, co-hosted by WHO and FIND, speakers discussed efforts undertaken through the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT)-Accelerator to enable countries to improve their community-based testing for SARS-CoV-2 through the development of testing protocols and training of health-care workers, with experience sharing from Somalia and Zimbabwe.
Participants also discussed the newly published interim guidance on Use of SARS-CoV-2 antigen-detection rapid diagnostic tests for COVID-19 self-testing.
The WHO Public Health laboratories knowledge sharing platform was launched in May 2020 to support COVID-19 reference laboratories facing challenges such as: establishing and transferring SARS-CoV-2 testing protocols, facing reagent shortages and managing the decentralization of testing.The initiative quickly expanded to include a global audience of laboratory stakeholders. The primary tool used for knowledge sharing is regular webinars, the organization of which is coordinated by the WHO Public Health Laboratory Strengthening unit (Lyon office) together with WHO Regional Offices, with simultaneous interpretation in 6 languages (Arabic, English, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish). In 2022, followers of the webinar series have also benefitted from a broadened scope of practice, with sessions now being offered on other epidemic-prone diseases and health emergencies and cross-cutting laboratory topics.
Using the platform of the first FIFA Arab Cup™, the World Health Organization (WHO), FIFA and the Qatari authorities are launching the #ACTogether campaign to call for teamwork and unity to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, treatments and tests.
A large proportion of the global population remains susceptible to infection and at an increased risk of severe disease and death. Vaccine inequity persists in many parts of the world; of the nearly 7.5 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines administered globally by mid-November 2021, only 0.6% had been administered in low‑income countries. The WHO is emphasizing the need to scale up access to vaccines, treatments and diagnostics, through support to the global Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator equity initiative, as well as the importance of strict adherence to public health measures.
FIFA will utilize football’s substantial platform during the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021™ with a series of videos for broadcast, both in-stadium and around Doha. Team captains will also show their support for the message, while each participating member association will have assets to share with its fans via its social and digital platforms. The #ACTogether awareness initiative was first rolled out during the last edition of the FIFA Club World Cup™ in Qatar in February 2021 and its latest iteration stresses that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over.
A new assessment by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that only 14.2% – or one in seven – COVID-19 infections are being detected in Africa. To reverse that trend and curb transmission, the WHO Regional Office for Africa today announced a new initiative to enhance community screening for COVID-19 in eight countries. The programme aims to reach more than 7 million people with rapid diagnostic tests in the next year.
The WHO analysis used the COVID-19 calculator developed by Resolve to Save Lives which estimates infections based on reported number of cases and deaths and an infection fatality rate grounded in population-based studies. It found that as of 10 October 2021 the cumulative number of COVID-19 infections is estimated to be 59 million in Africa, which is seven times more than the over 8 million cases reported.
The countries participating in the programme are Burundi, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Republic of the Congo, Senegal and Zambia. To kick off implementation, WHO has disbursed US$ 1.8 million to the eight countries. WHO will support countries to interrupt disease transmission, through active case finding by deploying teams in local communities to seek out possible contacts of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 and offer antigen rapid diagnostic tests.
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have played a critical role in the global COVID-19 response, as well as in the management and diagnosis of other diseases, such as malaria and HIV. However, without correct performance of the test and interpretation of the result, the utility of these tests may be compromised, presenting timely and accurate clinical assessment and disease surveillance.
This Target Product Profile lays out minimal and optimal characteristics for RDT readers to serve as companion tools to support improved test performance, interpretation, and reporting.
Safe and effective in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) are a critical component of an overall strategy to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO prequalification of in vitro diagnostics (IVDs) provides a valuable service to manufacturers and regulators in both quality assurance and product selection.
It has developed an Emergency Use Listing (EUL) procedure to hasten the availability of IVDs in public health emergencies such as COVID-19.
WHO reviews all documentation submitted for EUL and checks the evidence on a product’s safety, quality and performance. This procedure helps agencies and Member States decide on which IVD is suitable for their use.
The IVD part of the WHO prequalification website also provides key prequalification outputs as well as detailed information about submission of IVDs.
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.
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
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.
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:
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.