Meningitis diagnostics use case

A new scalable, rapid test for the diagnosis of meningitis is crucial and long overdue. Experts gathered in Geneva in March 2018 explored the scope, type, target user and timelines for making such product available. They identified needs for three types of test and key steps to make progress towards them. WHO has since agreed to produce a road map for a plan to defeat meningitis by 2030 that includes the development of these tests.

1. Rapid test in the African meningitis belt to identify the causative organism (meningococcal serogroup) at peripheral level,
2. rapid test in epidemic and endemic settings (global level) to identify bacterial infection for individual case management at peripheral level,
3. rapid test in epidemic and endemic settings (global level) to identify multiple meningitis pathogens for individual case management at hospital level.