Tag: ACT-A

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Featured Work - Awareness & Advocacy

Understanding barriers to diagnostics access in Madagascar

Communities in Madagascar face numerous barriers in accessing diagnostics services. In this rapid assessment, led by Matahari Global Solutions, in partnership with the community-based organisation Ankizy Gasy, and supported by FIND, 43 individuals living in rural and semi-rural communities in Madagascar were interviewed to understand availability of diagnostics, and to understand barriers to accessing diagnostics.

This rapid assessment found a complex diagnostics environment marked by high out-of-pocket spending for diagnostics relative to income, relatively long distances to get to primary healthcare centres, doctors prescribing antibiotics with incomplete diagnostics regimens or no diagnostics at all, poor clinical practices on diagnostics (such as use of inaccurate terminology), and insufficient data about stockouts. Because rapid malaria tests are provided for free, doctors offer these more regularly, but upon a negative result are unable to recommend additional tests because of the cost barrier. The assessment also found that rural communities overwhelmingly wanted more accessible and affordable testing – and perceived that people they knew were dying from ‘unknown diseases’.

To learn more about the results of the assessment, and recommendations to address the barriers revealed, click below.

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Featured Work - Awareness & Advocacy

Let’s Test Toolkit

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed global gaps in testing for communicable and noncommunicable diseases, and these gaps disproportionately affect individuals and families in low- and middle- income countries (LMICs). A staggering 81% of the population in LMICs don’t have access to many of the most simple tests available (Lancet, 2021).1

UNICEF has responded to this global gap in testing by developing the “Let’s Test” Toolkit, which aims to support Advocacy Champions in their goal to increase the use of quality testing in their own communities, through both increased supply and demand generation. This Toolkit, utilizing evidence based strategies,  provides step-by-step guides and assets to support impactful and productive engagement with policymakers to advocate for increased supply of quality testing. Communications assets, facilitation tools, memorable info-bites and content for social media campaigns are also provided to drive informed community-level demand and use of quality testing in LMICs.

The “Let’s Test” Toolkit has been informed by research in five LMICs and was designed with consideration for global health best practices for engagement, advocacy and social behavior change communication (SBCC). Practical guidance is also included to enable users of the Toolkit to tailor advocacy and communication assets for specific country and community contexts. 

Access the Toolkit here to learn more: lets-test.org.

1 Lancet Commission on Diagnostics: transforming access to diagnostics (2021)

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Related Resources Resource Centre - Reports

ACT-Accelerator Transition Report

The Transition Report includes a summary of achievements against each transition objective, related monitoring and coordination activities (e.g., supported by the ACT-A Tracking and Monitoring Task Force), and a Pillar-by-Pillar update on implementation progress. It reflects inputs from across the ACT-A partners as well as from recent reports and meetings, including the 3rd meeting convened by the ACT-A Council Tracking and Monitoring Task Force on 31 March 2023. 

Reflections on the way forward are provided in the final section of the report, with quarterly information (for Q4 2022 and Q1 2023) included as annexes. It also provides insights into how ACT-A partners have mainstreamed their COVID-19 work and will carry forward ongoing activities as part of their regular programmes and support.

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Related Resources Resource Centre - Reports

ACT-Accelerator Reflections Compendium

The ACT-Accelerator Reflections Compendium features voices from across the partnership, reflecting on the experiences, successes and challenges of this unprecedented global collaboration and highlighting important learnings for the future from those who were involved in a variety of capacities. Key stakeholders including Facilitation Council member countries and regional entities, partner agencies, envoys, civil society and industry representatives, donors and others share their thoughts on ACT-A. Additionally, the compendium includes six country stories that demonstrate the work of the partnership in Sierra Leone, Cambodia, Peru, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, Philippines and Mongolia, focusing on areas such as expanding access to medical oxygen, accelerating vaccine delivery and advocating for self-testing.

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Related Resources Resource Centre - Reports

Third Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator Tracking & Monitoring Taskforce Outcome Statement Report – 31 March 2023

This report is an outcome of the third meeting of the ACT-Accelerator Tracking and Monitoring Taskforce, held on 31st March 2023. This taskforce – co-chaired by India and the United States – continues key elements of the work of the Facilitation Council and its working groups. The report includes an outcome statement by the Co-Chairs and provides a briefing on the current status of the rollout of COVID-19 tools, including the institutional arrangements being put in place by ACT-A agencies to ensure ongoing access to COVID-19 tools.  More information on the taskforce can be found here.

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Related Resources Resource Centre - Reports

Update on the rollout of COVID-19 tools: a report from the ACT-A Tracking & Monitoring Task Force – 15 February 2023

This report is an outcome of the second meeting of the ACT-Accelerator Tracking and Monitoring Taskforce, held on 15th February 2023. This taskforce – co-chaired by India and the United States – continues key elements of the work of the Facilitation Council and its working groups. The report includes an outcome statement by the Co-Chairs and provides a briefing on the current status of the rollout of COVID-19 tools, including the institutional arrangements being put in place by ACT-A agencies to ensure ongoing access to COVID-19 tools.  More information on the taskforce can be found here.

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Resource Centre - Media & Press

What is the Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator, how is it structured and how does it work?

The ACT-Accelerator has supported the most rapid and coordinated effort in world history to develop tools to fight disease.

How the the ACT-Accelerator works

The Access to COVID-19 Tools (ACT) Accelerator is a time-limited global collaboration designed to rapidly use existing global public health infrastructure and expertise to accelerate the rollout of COVID-19 diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines globally and overcome inequities in low- and middle-income countries.

What does the ACT-Accelerator do?

The ACT-Accelerator focuses on development, production and equitable access to COVID-19 tests, treatments and vaccines.

Launched in April 2020, it has supported the most rapid and coordinated effort in world history to develop tools to fight disease. 

Now, ACT-Accelerator is expanding to provide access to COVID-19 tools globally. 

Who is involved?

The ACT-Accelerator brings together expertise from several global health institutions, academic researchers, policymakers, regulators, the private sector, including research and development, the manufacturing industry, and those working on market shaping, procurement and delivery.

How does it work?

The ACT-Accelerator focuses on vaccination, diagnostics and treatment.

The Diagnostics Pillar is co-convened by the FIND, the global alliance for diagnostics (FIND) and the Global Fund, focusing on the needs of low- and middle-income countries in their fight against COVID-19.

World partners
WHO leads programmes on regulatory policy, product procurement, allocation, and country access and support. The organization also supports research and development. 

The Health Systems Connector (HSC) works across the three product pillars. It is co-convened by the Global Fund, the World Bank, and WHO, with support from The Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents (GFF). 

What are the ACT-Accelerator’s goals?

To identify and address country-specific issues that delay the rollout of tests, vaccines or treatments and ensure that there is sufficient personal protective equipment (PPE) available to health workers.

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Investing in the COVID-19 Response through the ACT-Accelerator: Long-Term Benefits

This brief report covers the work of ACT-Accelerator agencies in not only addressing the immediate COVID-19 pandemic, but also providing long-lasting outcomes. 

Alongside increasing access to the tools needed to end the pandemic, the partnership is helping countries to build laboratory capacity and enhance the cold chain, create and maintain oxygen systems, train healthcare workers, and pilot the roll-out of test and treat protocols in communities.

This document outlines key investments in the global COVID-19 response through the ACT Accelerator that will have long-term benefits such as:

  • Strengthening the health workforce
  • Building surveillance systems
  • Boosting local manufacturing and technology transfer
  • Empowering healthcare workers to rapidly and accurately diagnose and treat patients not only for COVID-19, but also for other diseases.

Read the full document here


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COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic

This page contains the documents published in May 2021 when the Panel’s main report, entitled COVID-19: Make it the Last Pandemic, was released. These include the main report, a summary, an evidence-based narrative report, background documents, a report reflecting voices heard in townhall meetings, and multimedia materials including videos. Also included on this page is a sample of global public reaction following the report’s release.

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Resource Centre - Publications

Regional Roundtable meeting on ‘Access to COVID-19 Tools-Accelerator (ACT-A) diagnostics pillar’ in the WHO South-East Asia Region

Street scene outside the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan Hospital, Delhi.December 2017Photo credit: FIND / Ben Phillips

Regional Roundtable meeting on

‘Access to COVID-19 Tools-Accelerator (ACT-A)

diagnostics pillar’ in the
WHO South-East Asia Region

New Delhi, India, 24 August 2021

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