The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Department for HIV, Tuberculosis, Hepatitis & Sexually Transmitted Infections (HTH) develops evidence-informed policy on disease prevention, diagnosis, and care. Ensuring that diagnostic standards and tools for the detection and management of drug-resistant TB (DR-TB) are based on robust scientific evidence is a core part of this mandate.
To this end, WHO is commissioning expert services to support updates to the WHO Catalogue of mutations in Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex and their association with drug resistance, and laboratory-based validation of broth microdilution (BMD) plates for TB drug susceptibility testing. This work is critical to advancing global diagnostic standards, ensuring accuracy of genomic data interpretation, and strengthening laboratory methods used in clinical and surveillance settings. The findings will be reviewed by the Technical Advisory Group on TB Diagnostics and Laboratory Strengthening to inform updated policy and normative guidance.
The service provider should be able to work independently while interacting closely and collaboratively with WHO/HTH and other technical experts. For more details on the work and requirements, please review the Terms of Reference.
Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Demonstrated expertise in TB genomics and phenotypic drug susceptibility testing in an internationally accredited laboratory (including use of broth microdilution methods and whole genome sequencing) and resultant data interpretation and findings correlation.
- Evidence of an expert-level understanding of TB drug resistance testing and molecular mechanisms of resistance as demonstrated by a record of peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, or global guidance document acknowledgements.
- Demonstrated technical understanding of WHO catalogue bioinformatic approaches and outputs to guide interpretation of mutation resistance association.
- Proven capacity for quality assurance and coordination of complex laboratory and genomic interpretation collaborations and technical processes.
- Strong technical writing and editorial skills in English.
The proposal should include:
- Concise background information on the institution/expert(s)
- Objectives and methodology aligned with the Terms of Reference
- Description of the proposed work plan and timeline
- List of deliverables
- Short bios of the expert(s) involved
- Detailed budget
Interested experts or groups of experts should respond to this request by submitting their proposal to the Secretariat at solangonj@who.int. The deadline for receiving proposals is 30 August 2025 (11:59 PM CEST).