Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine: New pooled testing toolkit to help expand TB diagnosis to ‘missed millions’ Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) has developed a new pooled testing toolkit designed to expand tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis to millions of people currently missed by existing screening methods. The toolkit aims to improve access to TB testing in low-resource settings by increasing testing efficiency and reducing costs, particularly in communities where TB remains underdiagnosed due to limited healthcare infrastructure. Tuberculosis continues to be a major global health challenge, with the World Health Organization estimating that millions of cases go undetected each year, especially among vulnerable populations. LSTM’s innovation addresses this gap by enabling laboratories to test multiple samples simultaneously using a pooled approach, which conserves reagents and speeds up the diagnostic process without compromising accuracy. The toolkit is being developed in close collaboration with international health partners and is intended for deployment in high-burden countries where TB prevalence is high but diagnostic capacity is limited. By streamlining testing workflows, the toolkit supports national TB programs in identifying more cases earlier, which is critical for reducing transmission and improving treatment outcomes. LSTM’s work in TB diagnostics builds on its longstanding expertise in infectious disease research. As the world’s first institution dedicated to tropical medicine, established in 1898, LSTM continues to lead global efforts in developing innovative solutions for diseases that disproportionately affect disadvantaged communities. The European AIDS Treatment Group (EATG), a patient-led NGO advocating for equitable access to HIV and related health services across Europe, has highlighted the importance of integrated approaches to diagnosing and treating co-infections such as TB and HIV. EATG emphasizes that tools like LSTM’s pooled testing kit can play a vital role in reaching underserved populations, particularly those living with HIV who are at heightened risk of developing active TB. Even as the toolkit is still undergoing validation and field testing, early results suggest it could significantly increase testing throughput while lowering the cost per test. LSTM researchers are working to ensure the toolkit meets international quality standards and can be easily adopted by laboratories in diverse settings. As global health organizations renew their focus on ending the TB epidemic by 2030, innovations like this pooled testing toolkit represent a practical step toward closing the diagnostic gap. LSTM’s commitment to translating research into real-world impact underscores its ongoing mission to improve health equity through science and partnership.
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