WHO Recommends New TB Diagnostic Tools
Why this is here: The new guidelines recommend tongue swabs for TB testing, allowing diagnosis for adults and adolescents who cannot produce sputum samples—a population previously excluded from testing.
The World Health Organization urged countries to expand tuberculosis (TB) testing access. WHO issued new guidelines supporting point-of-care diagnostic tests and tongue swabs for faster detection. These tests are less expensive than current options and can deliver results in under one hour.
The guidelines also recommend sputum pooling to reduce testing costs when resources are limited. Tongue swabs enable testing for individuals unable to produce sputum, expanding detection to those at higher risk. WHO estimates over 3,300 people die from TB daily, despite efforts saving 83 million lives since 2000.
Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated these tools could transform TB diagnosis.
WHO calls for scaled-up access to these and other innovations. The organization also highlights the potential for these devices to test for HIV, mpox, and HPV.