The potential of digital molecular diagnostics for infectious diseases in sub-Saharan Africa

Author summary Diagnostic tests are fundamental to the practice of modern medicine, underpinning correct diagnosis and treatment. There is a global disparity in access to diagnostic tests, and much of the population of sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) does not have access to essential tests. Consequently, there is also limited data on the true burden of many diseases in SSA. Diagnostic laboratories are expensive and complex to build, run and maintain, and so increasing the number of laboratories may not be the best solution. We have identified new digital diagnostic technologies as an alternative approach with potential to bring the laboratory to the patient, wherever they may be. These technologies could transform healthcare in SSA, particularly for infectious diseases. Conducting diagnostic tests in a handheld device, often on the surface of a microchip, then may provide the accuracy of tests in a large laboratory, but in a rapid, cheap, and portable format. By transmitting real-time data, digital diagnostics also have the potential to transform surveillance of infectious diseases. This will allow prevention and control measures to be targeted where they are most needed.