In November 2021, we partnered with CHAI to execute a four-year volume guarantee agreement with SD Biosensor (SDB) to catalyse access to a dual HIV-syphilis rapid diagnostic test (Dual RDT). This will support the integration of syphilis testing into HIV testing programs in antenatal care settings which will help to close the testing gap between HIV and syphilis, and increase syphilis diagnosis and linkage to care among pregnant women.
Through this partnership, SD Biosensor has agreed to reduce the price of its test by 32% to below $1 for public purchasers in low- and middle-income countries. This is a 21% price reduction per test when compared to the weighted average market price for all public procurers.
Lives changed: Estimations for additional women receiving access to syphilis testing are based on 2020 antenatal testing coverage for syphilis in African countries. Downstream patient outcomes were estimated based on 2020 seroprevalence and treatment rates in African countries, and a meta-analysis of risk for adverse outcomes of pregnancy by Gomez et. al.
Money saved: Impact is based on comparing the negotiated price to the expected weighted average market price of dual RDTs, taking into account expected distributor mark-up where relevant.
Markets shaped: We work with partners, including donors, procurers and ministries of health, to track changes in health markets where our investments are supporting access to products. We monitor for changes to policy, procurement practices and supplier movement, all of which affect markets and contribute to the long-term sustainability of impact.
The dual test is a point-of-care rapid diagnostic test which simultaneously detects antibodies to both Treponemal pallidum (“TP”, the cause of syphilis infection) and HIV in under 20 minutes from a single finger-prick sample.
Mother-to-child-transmission of syphilis contributes to serious negative outcomes in babies. Pregnant women with untreated syphilis are 52% more likely to suffer adverse birth outcomes such as stillbirth, neonatal death, premature birth, or low birth weight. Worldwide, 8% of stillbirths are because of syphilis.
Currently, between 70-100% of pregnant women are screened for HIV, but only 40-60% are screened for syphilis. By lowering the price of the HIV-syphilis dual RDT through this volume guarantee, HIV programmes can replace the single HIV RDT used in antenatal care settings with the dual RDT, thereby increasing the number of women tested for syphilis.
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