Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Test Performance. Summary results of WHO product testing of malaria RDTs: Round 1-5 (2008-2013)

Overview

In 2006, the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR) and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) launched a programme to systematically evaluate and compare the performance of commercially available malaria rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). The results of WHO’s malaria RDT product testing have been published annually since 2009 and form the basis of the procurement criteria of WHO, other United Nations agencies, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, national governments and nongovernmental organizations. The data have guided procurement decisions, which, in turn, have shifted markets towards better-performing tests and are driving overall improvements in the quality of manufacturing.

This summary presents an overview of the results of rounds 1–5 of malaria RDT product testing and key concepts for understanding and using the results. It is published in conjunction with the release of the full report on round 5. The results of all rounds of testing should be considered as a single data set. The separate, full reports of each round (3–6) should be consulted for further details of methods, product performance and interpretation of the results