Innovating to fight tuberculosis epidemics
Partner since
2019
The Global Fund and Microsoft partnership focuses on leveraging technology and digital innovation to support the fight against the world’s pandemics. A joint collaboration is underway, for example, to map technologies used to fight TB across 15 high burden countries. This will become a global good that helps countries to understand best practices for technology application in TB case finding, treatment and prevention.
Both organizations also recently completed a project in conjunction with the Rwandan Government and Mastercard to develop a Framework for Data Management and Interoperability Standards for Rwanda, which will be a supporting strategic pillar for the country’s digital health strategy. The methodology used shows promise for scale up through application in other Global Fund-funded countries.
Microsoft also supported civil society activists in the Global Fund network across 53 countries with free access to Microsoft Teams to facilitate virtual collaboration during the first stages of the COVID-19 crisis.
New collaboration initiatives are under discussion to support Global Fund implementing countries during the 2020-22 funding cycle, with a focus on Health Information Systems, Real World Datasets and Remote Diagnostics.
Inside a high-tech mobile testing lab, a lab technician operates a GeneXpert machine that can identify the presence of TB bacteria in sputum samples. These mobile vans travel from clinic to clinic throughout rural India, increasing local TB testing capacity. Photo: The Global Fund / Vincent Becker