FRUGAL DIAGNOSTICS: SCIENCE EQUITY FOR GLOBAL HEALTH

Description:
Access to diagnostics, an essential component of robust health systems, remains vastly inequitable from a global perspective, to the detriment of the Global South, despite the latter having larger populations and higher disease burdens. While calls to address this inequity are common, they do not always pay sufficient attention to the role played by the development and manufacturing of diagnostics, which are also concentrated in high-income settings, in generating those inequities. A paradigm shift is needed, that would place diagnostic R&D at the point-of-use to offers a promising, yet under-pursued, pathway for designing diagnostics truly reflective of local contexts and needs, bringing production close to end users, and yield economic development at the same time. The so-called ‘reconstruction of Global Health’, entails amongst other things, a knowledge shift from unidirectional to bidirectional flow between LMICs and HICs.

This hands-on and collaborative workshop will introduce participants to the concept of frugal diagnostics, exploring how innovative solutions can address healthcare challenges in resource-limited settings and the shifting concept of equity, from diagnostic access, to IP ownership. The team will discuss robust, scalable, prototyping and manufacturing techniques that can be deployed on a shoestring budget. Participants will engage in hands-on activities, brainstorming sessions, and group discussions and will be ask to design the perfect frugal diagnostic R&D lab: What equipment and materials to include? What lab safety levels need to be implemented? The participants will be asked to share and reflect on their own practice and think of ways they can empower others to design, prototype, test and produce effective point-of-care diagnostics. The workshop objectives will be met through discussions between participants and hands-on activities.

Objectives:
Understand the principles and importance of frugal diagnostics and science equity. Explore case studies of successful frugal diagnostic tools. Develop skills in ideation and prototyping of low-cost diagnostic solutions. Foster collaboration and creative thinking to address real-world healthcare problems. Create long lasting links between participants.