FIND partners with manufacturers to improve affordability and access to point-of-care HbA1c testing in low- and middle-income countries

PDF version

• HbA1c testing is key to the initial diagnosis and long-term management of diabetes, and is an important indicator of developing complications
• New price agreements with Abbott, i-SENS Inc and Siemens Healthineers aim to improve the affordability and access to point-of-care HbA1c tests for low- and middle-income countries
• Prices are available through FIND, who connects buyers and manufacturers so that products can be procured directly

GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – 18 April 2023. FIND has today announced agreements with Abbott (Galway, Ireland), i-SENS Inc (Seoul, Republic of Korea) and Siemens Healthineers (Erlangen, Germany), to improve access to glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) testing for diabetes diagnosis and management by offering a special price for point-of-care test kits for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The announcement follows an open call for partners issued by FIND in September 2021 and sees prices aligning closely to the minimal target ranges as stipulated in the target product profile for a point-of-care cardiometabolic device.

Globally, in 2021, 537 million people were living with diabetes. Almost half were found to be unaware of their status, with the majority of undiagnosed cases (87.5%) occurring in LMICs. Where a diagnosis has been made, research across 28 LMICs shows less than a quarter of all people (22.8%) to have their diabetes under control. This puts individuals at greater risk of long-term complications and premature mortality, not only from diabetes, but also from infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and COVID-19.

HbA1c testing provides an average blood sugar reading over a 2–3-month period and is key to both diabetes diagnosis and long-term glycaemic monitoring. Access is limited in LMICs, with a review of 15 countries revealing HbA1c testing to be unavailable in two countries and requiring co-payment in 12 countries, with 90% of families requiring assistance with the cost. This situation is compounded by centralized testing models that often require people living in remote areas to travel to hospitals and referral facilities in major urban centres, many of whom are unable to do so.

Included in the World Health Organization (WHO) Essential Diagnostics List, point-of-care HbA1c tests are recommended for use in settings without laboratories to diagnose and monitor diabetes. Point-of-care HbA1c tests are designed to make testing more convenient and accessible, to help improve glycaemic control, clinical outcomes, and quality of life for people living with diabetes.

Products covered through today’s announcement include Abbott Afinion™, i-SENS A1Care™ and Siemens DCA Vantage®. There are no minimum order quantities, with manufacturers offering different terms for variable test cartridge and analyser requirements. Prices are available to buyers operating in LMICs and are available through FIND, who connects buyers and manufacturers so that products can be procured directly (unrelated to public tender processes).

Miguel Green, Global Divisional Vice President, Abbott’s Rapid Diagnostics Cardiometabolic & Informatics, said: “As leaders in rapid diagnostics, Abbott is focused on making testing more accessible and affordable so that people can have fast and reliable information to diagnostics, including their diabetes health. With our Afinion point-of-care system, physicians can have access to highly accurate results in minutes, improving the way they diagnose diabetes, monitor their patients and manage their care. Working together with FIND will help accelerate and expand patient access to these breakthrough diagnostics in more countries.”

Dr Hak-Hyun Nam, Chief Executive Officer of i-SENS, Inc, said: “We are pleased to expand our partnership with FIND and bring our A1Care™ System to people with diabetes in LMICs. Our A1Care™ Analyzer is an advanced point-of-care diabetes monitoring system with an all-in-one cartridge, that is suitable for use in developing countries. i-SENS has been working in collaboration with FIND for the last 12 months to improve access to blood glucose monitoring systems and we strongly believe that through this approach, we would be able to provide equal opportunity for the population of developing countries to take better care of diabetes.”

Mike Nassif, Head of Point of Care Diagnostics, Siemens Healthineers, said: “Diabetes rates are rising rapidly in low- and middle-income countries. Access to testing is one barrier many patients in underserved communities face, and a challenge we aim to help address through our distribution collaboration with FIND. Through FIND, buyers in LMICs can access the Siemens Healthineers DCA Vantage Analyzer to perform HbA1c testing at the point-of-care, where it will best serve their communities. Increasing access to testing will support individuals and their healthcare providers in learning important health information, initiating care, monitoring disease progression, and potentially preventing unnecessary diabetes disease progression.”

Emma Hannay, Chief Access Officer at FIND, said: “With the right diagnosis and management, people with diabetes can live a long and healthy life. HbA1c testing is an essential part of this process. It is, without doubt, one of the most effective ways to diagnose the disease and monitor glycaemic control. We have the technology. By making it more financially accessible, we can give millions of people the chance to take control of their health and live well with diabetes.”

For more information or to place orders, please contact NCDs@finddx.org.

This work is funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

About FIND

FIND seeks to ensure equitable access to reliable diagnosis around the world. We connect countries and communities, funders, decision-makers, healthcare providers and developers to spur diagnostic innovation and make testing an integral part of sustainable, resilient health systems. We are working to save 1 million lives through accessible, quality diagnosis, and save US$1 billion in healthcare costs to patients and health systems. We are co-convener of the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator diagnostics pillar, and a WHO Collaborating Centre for Laboratory Strengthening and Diagnostic Technology Evaluation. For more information, please visit www.finddx.org

Media contact

Sarah-Jane Loveday
Director, Communications
M: +41 79 431 62 44
media@finddx.org