10 february 2020
Geneva, Switzerland – 10 February 2020 – The World Health Organization (WHO) and the
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) announced today that a memorandum of
understanding has been signed by the two organizations to formalize a strategic collaboration
that will strengthen diagnosis in resource-poor countries by closing major diagnostic gaps at
country level and bolstering disease surveillance that will inform public health initiatives and
enhance outbreak preparedness and response.
“This collaboration is an inspiring development that will take us a long way towards ensuring
access to diagnostics to all who need them,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Director-General of the World Health Organization. “Global health challenges such as the
ongoing novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak demonstrates that without these essential
elements of health systems, we cannot hope to promote health, keep the world safe, and
serve the vulnerable. I look forward to working closely with FIND to determine what countries
need and to forge a path to deliver these innovations so that no one is left behind.”
Diagnosis is a driver of patient, financial and health systems impact, and a critical enabler of
universal health coverage, but it is also the weakest link in the care cascade. This is
especially true in primary healthcare settings in low- and middle-income countries. A unique
and unprecedented opportunity exists to expand the role and impact of diagnostics to fully
realize their potential to address major health security threats and evolving disease burdens
through technological and digital advances.
FIND has been an active partner with WHO since 2008 and a WHO Collaborating Centre
since 2014, acting in the areas of laboratory strengthening and diagnostic technology
evaluation. This expanded collaboration will put in place the building blocks necessary to
enable transformative change in a move toward a country-led diagnostics alliance. Initial
workstreams will focus on demand-driven access to essential diagnostics and the
development of national Essential Diagnostics Lists, alongside collection of data that assist
the scale up of diagnostics to support low- and middle-income countries on their paths to
universal health coverage.
“Each and every person has the right to a quality, timely diagnosis,” said Catharina Boehme,
CEO of FIND. “Comprehensive diagnostic services underpin functional and efficient health
systems not only to manage day-to-day healthcare needs, but also to ensure new disease
outbreaks can be spotted and contained quickly. Working closely with WHO as part of a
country-led alliance, we will strive to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have
what they need to develop their own comprehensive, data-driven diagnostic strategies that
enable universal health coverage and empower disease surveillance. Our ambition is that
all patients, providers and decision-makers have access to the diagnostic solutions needed
for optimal health outcomes.”
The strategic collaboration agreement will initially run for a period of 5 years, until 2025.
Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) announced today that a memorandum of
understanding has been signed by the two organizations to formalize a strategic collaboration
that will strengthen diagnosis in resource-poor countries by closing major diagnostic gaps at
country level and bolstering disease surveillance that will inform public health initiatives and
enhance outbreak preparedness and response.
access to diagnostics to all who need them,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus,
Director-General of the World Health Organization. “Global health challenges such as the
ongoing novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak demonstrates that without these essential
elements of health systems, we cannot hope to promote health, keep the world safe, and
serve the vulnerable. I look forward to working closely with FIND to determine what countries
need and to forge a path to deliver these innovations so that no one is left behind.”
universal health coverage, but it is also the weakest link in the care cascade. This is
especially true in primary healthcare settings in low- and middle-income countries. A unique
and unprecedented opportunity exists to expand the role and impact of diagnostics to fully
realize their potential to address major health security threats and evolving disease burdens
through technological and digital advances.
since 2014, acting in the areas of laboratory strengthening and diagnostic technology
evaluation. This expanded collaboration will put in place the building blocks necessary to
enable transformative change in a move toward a country-led diagnostics alliance. Initial
workstreams will focus on demand-driven access to essential diagnostics and the
development of national Essential Diagnostics Lists, alongside collection of data that assist
the scale up of diagnostics to support low- and middle-income countries on their paths to
universal health coverage.
CEO of FIND. “Comprehensive diagnostic services underpin functional and efficient health
systems not only to manage day-to-day healthcare needs, but also to ensure new disease
outbreaks can be spotted and contained quickly. Working closely with WHO as part of a
country-led alliance, we will strive to ensure that low- and middle-income countries have
what they need to develop their own comprehensive, data-driven diagnostic strategies that
enable universal health coverage and empower disease surveillance. Our ambition is that
all patients, providers and decision-makers have access to the diagnostic solutions needed
for optimal health outcomes.”
