New Diagnostic Tests for Sleeping Sickness
Author Information
Author(s): Dietmar Steverding
Primary Institution: Biomedical Research Centre, School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia
Hypothesis
There is an urgent need for accurate tools for both diagnosis and staging of human African trypanosomiasis.
Conclusion
FIND and WHO are collaborating to develop new diagnostic tools for human African trypanosomiasis that are simple, rapid, efficient, and cheap.
Supporting Evidence
- Human African trypanosomiasis is fatal unless treated.
- Current diagnostic tests for HAT are not sensitive and specific enough.
- FIND and WHO are collaborating to develop new diagnostic tests for HAT.
Takeaway
Doctors need better tests to find out if people have sleeping sickness, and two organizations are working together to make these tests easier and faster to use.
Methodology
The initiative involves collaboration between FIND and WHO to develop and evaluate new diagnostic tests for HAT.
Limitations
Existing tests have low specificity and sensitivity, and are difficult to use in rural areas.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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