FIND establishes “Voices for Diagnosis” annual prize to recognize and enable innovative approaches that improve diagnostic access in low- and middle-income countries
-- The Voices for Diagnosis annual prize is open to patient groups as well as health and rights advocacy organizations, acknowledging the key role of communities in promoting diagnostic access
-- In 2018/19, three awards of US$10,000 each – contributed by FIND; BD, Inc; and Johnson & Johnson – will be made to recognize and support initiatives that encourage appropriate antibiotic use and fight antimicrobial resistance
-- The prize will be adjudicated and supported by the Diagnostics Ambassadors, an informal network of thought leaders from diverse disciplines who help champion the important role played by diagnostics in global health
Geneva, Switzerland – 21 November 2018 – The Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) announced today that the organization has established a “Voices for Diagnosis” annual prize to recognize individuals and organizations that implement innovative approaches to improve access and create demand for timely and cost-effective diagnostic solutions for infectious diseases in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The prize will be adjudicated and supported by the Diagnostics Ambassadors, an informal network of thought leaders from diverse disciplines who help champion the important role played by diagnostics in global health.
Despite being pivotal for guiding the best treatment for patients, preventing the spread of disease and AMR, and enhancing surveillance for early disease detection and monitoring, diagnostics remain under-resourced and overlooked. Raising the profile of diagnostics in order to enhance access and spur behaviour change to support their uptake is pivotal to transforming patient experiences when faced with some of the world’s most deadly infectious diseases. Patient groups, and health and rights advocacy organizations have a key role to play in promoting diagnostic access.
The Voices for Diagnosis prize has been conceived to celebrate and broaden the impact of community initiatives with a view to encouraging best-practice sharing and sparking creative new ideas. Each year the prize will focus on a specific theme; entries will be assessed according to their level of innovation and their impact on diagnostic access in LMICs, in line with the current theme. Initiatives may address topics such as behaviour change in clinical practice, patient and healthcare provider education, and innovative use of technology (e.g. artificial intelligence, crowdsourcing or social media).
For 2018/19, the theme is: Get rational: protecting antibiotics by promoting approaches that support evidence-based prescribing. Three awards of US$10,000 each will be presented for initiatives that have taken innovative approaches to decrease the inappropriate prescription of antibiotics through better diagnostic solutions, to advance the work being done. The US$30,000 total prize fund is being contributed by FIND; BD, Inc; and Johnson & Johnson.
FIND will promote the winning initiatives with the global health community and other stakeholders. Winners will also be published on the FIND website, promoted among FIND’s stakeholders, and shared with the global media via press release. In addition, speaking platforms may also be offered at regional or global events. Prizes will be awarded at the Advanced Course on Diagnostics (ACDx) meeting in Annecy in September each year.
The closing date for 2018/19 entries is 31 March 2019. For more information, and to apply, please visit www.finddx.org/voices
About FIND
FIND is a global non-profit organization that drives innovation in the development and delivery of diagnostics to combat major diseases affecting the world’s poorest populations. Our work bridges R&D to access, overcoming scientific barriers to technology development; generating evidence for regulators and policy-makers; addressing market failures; and enabling accelerated uptake and access to diagnostics in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Since 2003, we have been instrumental in the delivery of 21 new diagnostic tools used in 150 LMICs. Over 38 million FIND-supported products have been provided to our target markets since the start of 2015. A WHO Collaborating Centre, we work with more than 200 academic, industry, governmental, and civil society partners worldwide, on over 70 active projects that cross six priority disease areas. FIND is committed to a future in which diagnostics underpin treatment decisions and provide the foundation for disease surveillance, control and prevention.
About the Diagnostics Ambassadors
The Diagnostics Ambassadors (Dx Ambassadors) are an informal network of high-profile thought leaders from diverse disciplines, who help champion the important role played by diagnostics in global health. Expertise of the Dx Ambassadors is central to FIND’s ongoing efforts to demonstrate the value of diagnostics. The Dx Ambassadors network is co-ordinated by Renuka Gadde (Vice President, Global Health, BD), supported by Sarah-Jane Loveday (Head of Communications, FIND). Members are agreed by FIND’s Board of Directors. For more information, please visit www.finddx.org/dx-ambassadors
Source: FIND
