Tech watch: New generation of TB tech leads innovation surge

The quarterly tracker highlights technologies in infectious disease control, climate-health, vaccination, nutrition and last-mile delivery. While TB tech tops the list, there are additional technologies in the list.

These include Africa CDC’s Central Data Repository for integrating continental health data, molecular malaria surveillance systems for early intervention and Zendawa’s AI platform for last-mile pharmacy delivery.

The Lung Flute ECO is a non-invasive TB diagnostic device developed by the Aurum Institute, Stellenbosch University, Instituto Nacional de Saúde and the World Alliance for Lung and Intensive Care Medicine. Patients breathe into the flute-like device to loosen mucus for sample collection. Its limitations include the need for clinical validation at scale and integration into existing health systems. The project received $1.8 million funding from the Global Health Innovative Technology Fund.

Scientists at the University of the Western Cape, in collaboration with the University of Ghent in Belgium, have developed a low-cost, rapid, and highly sensitive electrochemical sensor for early TB detection in South Africa. The device detects interferon gamma, a biomarker of active TB, enabling fast screening at clinic level without complex laboratory equipment.The device however, needs broader clinical validation and regulatory approval before large-scale deployment.

New AI-enabled digital stethoscopes have shown promise for TB screening in South Africa and Uganda. They help detect lung abnormalities even in low-resource or hard-to-reach areas. Researchers, including Madhukar Pai from McGill University, Canada, found the devices can interpret subtle acoustic biomarkers and identify possible TB cases that routine symptom screening might miss. 

Kenyan scientists at the KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme have developed a nationwide molecular surveillance system to detect malaria parasites with genetic mutations linked to drug resistance. Operating in eight counties around Lake Victoria, the system integrates routine patient samples with next-generation sequencing to flag mutations early and support the National Malaria Control Programme.

The Africa CDC has launched a Central Data Repository to consolidate public health data across the continent. The platform integrates surveillance and laboratory information in a secure and interoperable platform. It provides real-time insights into disease trends and outbreaks. The platform uses a federated model that allows member states to retain data ownership while providing consolidated information for cross-border public health planning and supply chain coordination.

Microsoft in partnership with Kenyan health-technology startup Zendawa are deploying an online AI tool for the management of independent pharmacies. The system digitises sales data, expiry tracking, demand forecasting and order routing. The rollout targets neighbourhood pharmacies, a core layer of last-mile medicine delivery in Africa. It is a B2B digital ecosystem for neighbourhood pharmacies that is accessed via secure cloud-based web and mobile interfaces.

Tuberculosis remains Africa’s most pressing infectious disease challenge, and this quarter’s tracker shows the continent leading innovation in addressing it. 

Yet, these technologies will only transform care if integrated into health systems and made accessible to the most vulnerable.