Start4All protocol for a Bayesian cost-effectiveness model of tuberculosis screening and diagnosis in seven high burden low-income and middle-income countries.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

High costs of screening and diagnostic tests remain a major barrier to timely tuberculosis (TB) identification in resource-limited settings. Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of scalable screening algorithms is limited. Start4All is a research project aimed at developing and evaluating algorithmic approaches to TB screening and diagnosis, with the goal of optimising technical and allocative efficiency when expanding diagnostic coverage to primary healthcare and community settings.

Methods and analysis

Five screening and diagnostic tests will be evaluated: a capillary blood-based assay (C-reactive protein (CRP)), sputum-based rapid molecular tests (PCR; individual and pooled Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay (Xpert Ultra, Cepheid®, California, USA)), a lateral-flow urin

SUBMITTER: McCoy A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12911692 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature