Africa Collaborative to Advance Diagnostics (AFCAD)

The first consultative meeting of the Africa Collaborative to Advance Diagnostics (AFCAD) is being held at the African Union Commission headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 24 and 25 September 2019.

Objectives of the meeting are to:

• Develop an expedited process of accessing and updating diagnostics
• Discuss enabling conditions for local production of diagnostics in Africa
• Develop private sector partnerships for financial pathways to increase diagnostics uptake in Africa
• Launch an HIV viral load movement to meet targets in Africa as per the Heads of State and Government decision to establish AIDS Watch Africa

Expected outcomes of the meeting:

• Establishment of Africa CDC experts committee for expedited access to and update of diagnostics in Africa to meet it health strategy agenda
• Development of a standardized protocol on the evaluation of diagnostics, and criteria for selection and capacity building for Centers of excellence in Africa
• Establishment of partnerships for a blueprint for a diagnostics revolving fund, designed to accelerate manufacturing of diagnostics in Africa
• Accomplishment of a consensus on a mechanism to facilitate uptake of diagnostics in Africa
• Launching of an HIV viral load movement, as proof of concept of the AFCAD, to increase uptake and access to meet programme targets

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• More on the conference here