TriageTB’s Coordinator, Prof Gerhard Walzl of Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, South Africa, is also one of three Co-Principal Investigators of ENDxTB. Together, the two projects form one global study with the aim of advancing research into cost-effective, novel, and improved diagnostic strategies for TB. The setup allows for collaboration across multiple clinical sites in Africa (South Africa, The Gambia, Uganda) and Southeast Asia (Vietnam) and laboratories in the US and Europe.

During the meeting, the TriageTB consortium discussed progress made over the past year. It was apparent that the group has managed to successfully advance the project, despite the significant challenges posed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Tremendous efforts were put into harmonization of protocols across sites, and clinical partners were able to pick up enrolment quickly and efficiently after the lockdowns. One of the most recent achievements includes enrolling the first patients in phase two of the study.

The meeting also included a session of the Scientific Advisory Board. Its members participated actively in the discussions and provided valuable feedback on the status of the project, including a concise SWOT analysis and targeted recommendations. Capacity development was also spotlighted at the meeting, with an interactive assessment of the ongoing capacity development activities and a joint brainstorming for ways to improve the support system, especially in the light of a continued lack of face-to-face meetings.

For the upcoming months, the consortium feels confident that it can continue to move the clinical work forward and produce valuable results.

‍