# Expanding Diagnostics: Fast, Portable Tests Could Transform the Fight Against TB

Diagnosing people most at risk of TB has long been one of the greatest barriers to ending the disease. But new near-point-of-care (NPOC) tests now offer a transformative solution by bringing rapid and accurate diagnosis to the hardest-to-reach and the most remote communities.

These new, portable devices deliver fast and reliable results without requiring complex laboratory infrastructure or highly specialized staff. They can be used easily in primary health centers, where most people with TB first seek care, and in many settings, they will bring molecular diagnosis to hard-to-reach communities for the very first time.

By replacing smear microscopy with far more accurate molecular testing, countries will be able to detect many more people with TB who would otherwise be missed – enabling earlier treatment, better outcomes, and reduced transmission.

These tests complement existing molecular testing tools like GeneXpert, which remain essential for performing additional reflex testing following a positive NPOC test result and diagnosing drug-resistant TB.

In 2025, the NPOC tests moved rapidly from the research pipeline into formal review. Following the WHO recommendation in March 2026, the Global Fund has been acting quickly to translate this breakthrough into impact.

Through a catalytic Early Adopter initiative, supported by CIFF and implemented by the Aurum Institute, the Global Fund is partnering with 13 countries – Bangladesh, Benin, Cameroon, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kenya, Nigeria, Peru, the Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Viet Nam and Zambia – to roll out nearly 3 million tests by the end of 2026. Now available at affordable pricing, the new tests make decentralized, high-quality molecular diagnostics possible at scale – creating a first-of-its-kind opportunity to transform the fight against TB, if rapidly and widely deployed.