USAID invests in operations research and diagnostic improvements to sustain gains and accelerate program progress
Achieving disease control and elimination goals for five of the most burdensome NTDs presents various challenges. Operational research (OR) and innovation —in diagnostics, specifically— can help the neglected tropical disease (NTD) community overcome present and emerging obstacles.
Despite great progress in ending NTDs, new tools and strategies are needed to overcome challenges, guide program decision-making, and measure progress. USAID is committed to supporting OR and encouraging the development of new and improved diagnostics.
What is operational research? Why and how does USAID invest in this work?
In this context, OR represents the application of scientific methods within NTD programs to improve their effectiveness.
For USAID’s NTD Program, decisions informed by OR, embedded within country programs, can lead to better implementation and management. Findings can be applied quickly, helping rapidly remove barriers to implementation, improve program efficiencies, and better protect investments.
What are NTD diagnostics? Why and how does USAID invest in new and improved diagnostics?
The NTD community uses a variety of diagnostics to test for the presence of disease. They are often used by health workers to rapidly detect infection at the point of care. Effective diagnostic tests are critical for NTD programs to make decisions—such as adjusting treatment frequency or stopping mass treatments and to validate or verify elimination of disease. Diagnostics are also important long-term as diseases are reduced as part of routine surveillance.
For some diseases, there is a lack of optimal, field-ready diagnostics. USAID invests in diagnostics to ensure that effective diagnostics are available as national NTD programs near or reach disease control and elimination goals.
Photo: Pelagie Boko-Collins analyzes mosquitoes for the presence of the parasite that causes a neglected disease called lymphatic filariasis. Credit: Pelagie Boko-Collins
USAID invests in operational research to generate evidence that can be used to remove barriers and improve program outcomes
Strengthening Operational Research
USAID works to define and resolve operational roadblocks that hinder the successful implementation of NTD programs and progress toward control and elimination goals. USAID co-funds a program which links and engages researchers, national program staff, implementation partners, and the donor community to answer important operational questions. The program coordinates stakeholder inputs, builds and accelerates consensus, and makes recommendations around identified research priorities. It also annually facilitates the world’s foremost NTD OR meeting to help further this work. Second, USAID supports and works alongside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to improve operational research for NTDs, particularly around developing and/or testing of new diagnostics, improving disease surveillance methods, and providing technical expertise in global leadership fora.
Supporting Small Grants
USAID founded and co-funds the African Researchers Small Grants Program. The Program seeks to advance African expertise and bolster in-country researchers working to end NTDs in their home countries. The Program targets junior and senior researchers and awards small grants annually through a proposal process.
Data for Decision Making
USAID invests in data analytics and use to help advance evidence-based decision making. USAID works closely with implementing partners to improve data use and data visualization to support more accurate programmatic decisions for national, district, and sub district level interventions.
USAID makes strategic investments to galvanize innovation and improvements in NTD diagnostics
Diagnostics Research
Diagnostics are a critical decision making tool in health. Since each NTD is unique, different diagnostics are required. Sensitive and specific diagnostic tools are necessary to determine an accurate diagnosis at the point of care. Cumulative diagnostic results help guide program decisions like where to treat entire communities and when to stop treatment or validate or verify elimination of disease if infection levels are low enough.
NTDs are often not the priority in the diagnostic development sphere. This status quo has left some diseases without adequate diagnostic tools, hindering the NTD community’s ability to provide prevention or treatment programs to communities in need. Testing and validating newly developed or improved tools is an important and overarching objective for USAID’s research investments.
Whether it is improvements to rapid diagnostic tests for identifying infected communities or improving program decision making, USAID’s work informs the efforts of many organizations collaborating to develop and commercialize new diagnostic tools. USAID also works on diagnostic improvements with the CDC.
Thought Leadership
USAID plays a key role working with partners, research and development institutions, and donors to improve diagnostics for NTDs. USAID supports the World Health Organization’s (WHO) NTD Diagnostic and Technical Advisory Group (DTAG). The DTAG assists WHO to: review and prioritize the diagnostics needs for NTD programs, define the use cases and target product profiles for the needed diagnostic tools, link with key partners such as NTD programs from endemic countries to support test development and validation, and provide WHO with guidance and strategies on the utility of and access to new diagnostics to support NTD control and elimination.
As a part of the global NTD community, USAID abides by and contributes to global guidance, research, and best practices
Technical Resources
Policy and Advocacy Resources
USAID Programs and Partnerships
Ending Neglected Diseases through Operational Research (ENDOR)
COR-NTD and USAID 10 Year Celebration Brochure
African Researchers Small Grants Program
CDC Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, NTD Program (CDC)