NIHR Global Health Research Group on Digital Diagnostics for African Health Systems

The Project aims to investigate whether a new type of diagnostic test, called a digital diagnostic, will be better than currently available diagnostic tests in African health care settings. We aim to evaluate whether digital diagnostics technology will work properly, whether it will provide accurate diagnoses, and whether we can optimise it to give the maximum chance that it is adopted intopractice in African healthcare systems. To do this, we need to fully understand the context in which it will be used, and understand the perspectives of all of those who might be impacted, from the patients and healthcare workers right up to ministries of health and international policy makers. We do this through different types of interviews and focus groups. We optimise the design of digital diagnostics in partnership with the intended users – so called “co-design”. We assess the potential impact on health systems to understand how other aspects of diagnosis and care might be affected. We compare accuracy of diagnoses using our digital diagnostics technology against those of the best possible "gold standard" diagnostic tests, and also against any tests in common use in Africa. We want to look at different scenarios where there are important gaps in the availability, accuracy, or data collection from current diagnostic tests. These scenarios are: 1. detection of malaria parasites; 2. cause of fever in young children; 3. detecting bacterial contamination of water and food. The countries where the research is underatken are: - The Gambia - Ghana - Burkina Faso - Kenya - Sudan - Zambia The research plan is structured in 6 cross-cutting Work Packages and 10 Sub-Projects as follows: WP1 | Technology Development Lead: Prof. Pantelis Georgiou (Imperial College London) WP2 | Community Engagement and Involvement Lead: Prof. Salome Bukachi (University of Nairobi) WP3 | Diagnostic Evaluation Leads: Dr Jane Achan (Malaria Consortium), Dr Samuel Duodu (University of Ghana) WP4 | Health Systems Lead: Dr Julie Balen (University of Sheffield) WP5 | User Interface Co-design Lead: Dr Talya Porat (Imperial College London) WP6 | Data Integration and Application Leads: Prof. Céire Costelloe (Institute of Cancer Research), Mr Darlington Akogo (minoHealth AI SP1 | Evaluation of the detection of asymptomatic carriage of malaria parasites in cross-sectional community screening surveys using a point of care digital diagnostic PhD Student: Dimbintsoa Robinson, MRC Unit The Gambia (LSYTM) – Supervisors: Prof. D'Alessandro, Prof Tinto SP2 | Evaluation of the detection of malaria parasite species and anti-malarial resistance in uncomplicated malaria patients using a point of care digital diagnostic PhD Student: Martin Chamai, University of Ghana, WACCBIP – Supervisors: Dr Amoah, Prof. Awandare SP3 | Evaluation of the detection of malaria in pregnancy and anti-malarial drug resistance using a point of care digital diagnostic PhD Student: Jean-Bertin Kabuya, Tropical Diseases Research Centre – Supervisor: Prof. Christine Manyando SP4 | Evaluation of detection of P. falciparum and P. Vivax malaria and G6PD deficiency using a point of care digital diagnostic PhD Student: Waleed Mohammed Alhaj Jebreel, University of Khartoum, IEND – Supervisors: Prof. Osman, Prof. Mahdi SP5 | Evaluating a digital diagnostic to distinguish between causes of childhood febrile illness PhD Student: Flavian Akite, University of Ghana, WACCBIP – Supervisors: Dr Duodu, Dr Usuf, Dr Cunnington SP6 | Developing and evaluating a digital diagnostic for environmental pathogen detection PhD Student: Erick Odoyo, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) – Supervisors: Dr Sifuna, Dr Rodriguez Manzano SP7 | Evaluating digital diagnostic implementation through national and international health policy & health systems analysis PhD Student: Shola Kelly Molemodile Dele-Olowu, University of Ghana – Supervisors: Dr Balen, Prof. Yeung, Prof. Yawson SP8 | Evaluating digital diagnostic implementation through local health systems and service analysis PhD Student: Mamadu Baldeh, MRC Unit The Gambia (LSYTM) – Supervisors: Dr Balen, Prof de Witte, Prof Yeung SP9 | Co-design and development of user interfaces for digital diagnostics PhD Student: Angelina Ankah Amengu, University of Ghana – Supervisors: Dr Porat, Dr Abdulai SP10 | Integration and application of data from digital diagnostics for disease surveillance and control PhD Student: Francis Dzabeng, University of Ghana – Supervisors: Dr Abdulai, Mr Akogo, Dr Okell, Dr Costelloe The involvement of community members, as potential end-users of the diagnostics, is central to the codesign process. Wider community engagement will be undertaken for the diagnostic accuracy studies to ensure that the research is appropriate and approved by the local communities.