Diagnostic Network Vision

A poignant reminder of the impact of poor data quality and timeliness in the management of disease outbreaks is the Ebola outbreak in 2014-2016, which resulted in the loss of $2.2 billion US dollars gross domestic product in Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, as well as 11,325 lives. Monitoring of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through surveillance systems is the cornerstone of any outbreak and response network. The availability of a robust and timely diagnostic network can ensure a country's ability to manage and promptly contain an outbreak. Time, more than anything, determines the success of a response. Diagnostic networks serve as the first line to detect existing and emerging microbial threats, thus enabling an appropriate national response. A robust diagnostic network features reliable, accurate, and rapid testing and reporting, and effective communication between patients, clinicians, and veterinarians, laboratories, and public health officials that spans the tiered levels from point-of-care to national and supranational sites. The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) project recognizes that access to reliable, accurate, and timely diagnostics and results is essential to allow countries to detect and monitor emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases. IDDS places improving diagnostic access as a critical component and main outcome of its diagnostic network technical approach. Diagnostic and surveillance data supports evidence-based clinical guidelines, resource allocations, and public health interventions, including animal and environmental health. IDDS supports countries' efforts to take a sustainable One Health systems strengthening approach for improving diagnostic networks to detect priority pathogens and AMR. The IDDS suite of approaches aims to strengthen national health systems through networks and adaptable collaborative efforts to improve infectious disease detection and AMR surveillance. IDDS focuses on ensuring that crosscutting requirements are also addressed in each of these areas by working with stakeholders and partners to identify high-impact opportunities for improvement and developing evidence-based solutions tailored to these needs. IDDS takes a flexible and adaptable approach to support diagnostic strengthening activities in partner countries. The project identifies diagnostic strengthening activities to include in IDDS country workplans, collaborating with partners where they are already engaged in diagnostic strengthening efforts to maximize coverage, impact, and shared resources. To achieve improved diagnostic access, IDDS assists countries to strengthen the following core elements: collection and referral of quality clinical specimens, availability of functioning and suitable testing equipment, availability of quality diagnostic commodities, and rapid systems for reporting of diagnostic results.