Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) Diagnostic Industry Partner Collaboration in the Development of a Systematic Review Paper:

The Value of Diagnostics- Economic Impact of Diagnostic Gaps in Human and Animal Health in Africa (2005–2025)

Background

Access to timely, accurate diagnostics and functional laboratory systems is essential for effective healthcare delivery, disease surveillance, outbreak response, and health security. Across Africa, diagnostics remain the largest gap in the patient care pathway, reflecting insufficient investment in diagnostic systems, which has weakened infrastructure, supply chains, and the laboratory workforce. These systemic constraints disproportionately affect primary healthcare and rural populations, leading to delayed or missed diagnoses, ineffective treatment, accelerating antimicrobial resistance, uncontrolled outbreaks, livestock losses, and broader economic disruption.

While the clinical importance of diagnostics is widely acknowledged, the economic cost of diagnostic gaps across human and animal health systems in Africa remains fragmented and poorly quantified. This weakens the ability of policymakers, donors, and the private sector to make evidence‑based investment decisions. At the same time, recent successes in outbreak containment across the continent demonstrate that timely diagnostics can decisively alter health and economic outcomes. The 2014–2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic, which took months to identify, contributed to uncontrolled spread, resulting in over 11,000 deaths and an estimated US$30–50 billion in economic losses across Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. 1However, when Ebola re-emerged in Guinea in 2021, laboratory confirmation was achieved within one a week, and the outbreak was contained after only 23 cases, preventing the large‑scale social and economic disruption seen in 2014–20162.

Purpose of the Review

ASLM is leading a systematic review and metanalysis to quantify the economic impact of inadequate diagnostic capacity across Africa from a societal and One Health perspective. The review seeks to address the overarching question of how diagnostic gaps in human and animal health systems affect economic outcomes on the continent. It will synthesize evidence across diseases, sectors, and countries to assess direct and indirect costs, productivity losses, outbreak response expenditures, and the return on investment associated with strengthening diagnostic systems.

The findings will support evidence-based policy decisions, financing reforms, and strategic investments in diagnostics at national, regional, and continental levels.

Invitation to Industry Partners

ASLM invites diagnostic industry partners to express interest in collaborating with ASLM on this high impact review.

Potential Areas of Collaboration

Industry partners may contribute by:

• Providing technical experts, including Health Economists, Epidemiologists, Statisticians, Finance Experts, Program Evaluation Specialists, Diagnostic experts (Human and Animal) - to inform study design, data analysis and interpretation of results
• Sharing relevant data, datasets, or previous reports related to diagnostic access, utilization, costs, or economic impact, to strengthen the evidence base and analytical rigor of the review
• Contributing financial support for collaborator and stakeholder convenings, technical working sessions, expert consultations and publication fees
• Providing in-kind support through participating in the development, review, and refinement of policy briefs, technical reports, and peer reviewed manuscripts generated from this work
• Supporting the report dissemination and publication - including policy engagement and knowledge translation activities

It is expected that collaborators will engage in at least one of the ways outlined above.

Value of Participation

Collaborating partners will:

• Contribute to one of the first continent-wide economic syntheses on diagnostics
• Gain early access to robust evidence shaping future diagnostic policy and investment
• Be recognized as contributors to high visibility scientific and policy outputs

Next Steps

Interested partners are invited to submit an Expression of Interest outlining their proposed area(s) of collaboration via the application form below by 29th May 2026.

ASLM will coordinate follow-up discussions and define collaboration modalities with selected partners.

Together, we can elevate diagnostics from a neglected cost to a strategic investment for Africa’s health security, economic resilience, and patient centred care.