India-made TB diagnostics tech wins acclaim at World Health Assembly

The Truenat platform, a rapid molecular test for the diagnosis of pulmonary, extrapulmonary, and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis, that was developed in India, has been hailed for its role in combating TB and as a possible component of global healthcare solutions at the recently-held 77th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

Developed by Goa-based Molbio, a point-of-care molecular diagnostics company, Truenat was first launched in 2017 and is a real-time quantitative micro-PCR system. It is a portable, battery-operated machine that can be deployed at labs, health centres, and in the field. Truenat delivers results from samples in less than an hour and can test for over 40 diseases.

At the World Health Assembly (the decision-making body of the WHO), The Global Fund, which collaborates with the WHO to build stronger health systems across the globe, appreciated India’s commitment to eliminating TB by creating mass awareness, and intensive monitoring programmes using digital technologies, a press release from Molbio said.

The Global Fund noted that India’s innovative initiatives in the TB programme such as the use of Truenat machines and handheld X-ray devices, designed for challenging operational environments, could serve as models for global emulation.

Sriram Natarajan, CEO of Molbio, said recognition such as this was welcome, especially as Truenat has now entered global markets, with roughly 10,000 installations worldwide. “Countries that have begun to use Truenat have all reported significant improvements in case detection,” he said.

Mr. Nararajan said TrueNat is used at over 7,000 primary health centres and community health centres under the National TB Elimination Programme and is also being used at roughly 1,500 private labs in the country.

At the Assembly, Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra called upon The Global Fund to continue its support for the TB programme to strengthen the capacities of public health systems, according to a Press Information Bureau release.

Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to combating TB, which kills an estimated 480,000 Indians every year, or over 1,400 patients every day. The WHO reports over 10 million new cases of TB every year, and India alone accounts for 27% of the global TB burden.