Resources

Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency is a common enzyme deficiency that is prevalent in many malaria-endemic countries. G6PD-deficient individuals are susceptible to hemolysis when exposed to certain medications and food, including 8-aminoquinoline drugs (primaquine and newly introduced tafenoquine) used to fully treat Plasmodium vivax malaria patients by killing the malaria parasites that lie dormant in the liver. This is known as “radical cure.” As a result, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends conducting a G6PD test prior to initiating radical cure treatment. A simple point-of-care (POC) test for G6PD deficiency enables wide-scale radical cure treatment of patients with P. vivax malaria and accelerates elimination of the disease.

With the sudden outbreak of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic that hit the world at the end of 2019, and the problems arising ever since, there is an urgent need for reliable and efficient laboratory tests to diagnose SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. The crucial role played by laboratories in helping people obtain an accurate diagnosis and effective care has never been more evident than during the current pandemic.This document aims to provide complete and accessible information about COVID-19 and its diagnosis. Created especially for laboratory personnel and stakeholders involved in laboratory work, this “handbook” on COVID-19 Testing on COVID-19 testing includes guidance on various diagnostic techniques for COVID-19. Aside from providing basic information about COVID-19 testing techniques and biosafety measures, this report also covers information about the standard procedures needed to set up a COVID-19 laboratory and how to carry out validation and approval of test kits for COVID-19 using antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) and molecular diagnostics, like polymerase chain reaction (PCR).It is hoped that this document will act as a handy and useful guide for laboratory personnel involved in COVID-19 diagnosis.

The study aims to use a behaviour science and human centred design approach tounderstand the barriers to uptake of COVID-19 vaccines, and use this fundamentalunderstanding to design interventions to drive vaccine uptake

The study aims to use a behavior science and human centred approach tounderstand the barriers to COVID-19 testing, and use this fundamentalunderstanding to design interventions to drive the ‘right user’ to get tested atthe ‘right time’.

To manage the spread and control the pandemic, regular COVID-19 testing along with vaccination are critical behaviors to drive in the population, where supply and demand side issues need to be managed side by side. However, much of the discussion, policy and efforts in India are limited to supply of testing, and supply/logistics of vaccines, while the issue of people’s demand for testing and confidence in vaccines and willingness to get vaccinated is not being adequately addressed.While survey data and other studies are important to understanding overall hesitancy, there is a need for a behavioural science and HCD-led approach to identify strategic levers which can be used to design the communication campaign and service delivery design for vaccine rollout.