World Economic Forum. Diagnostics for better health: Considerations for global implementation (February 2021)

Summary

Diagnostics function as a compass in healthcare. They help determine the cause of a person’s condition, thus steering the healthcare provider towards the appropriate treatment or care pathway to address a disease and determine whether the approach is working. Despite their value in the healthcare delivery system, innovation, implementation, reimbursement and accessibility include barriers that constrain the use of diagnostics, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where increased availability could lower healthcare costs while saving lives.

How can leaders increase affordable access to essential diagnostics globally? How can diagnostic advances be supported without contributing to growing disparities across the globe? This report seeks to address these questions through a landscape review of the global diagnostic ecosystem – including identifying key stakeholders, barriers and enablers along the product life cycle and the effectiveness of diagnostics – while highlighting the various challenges, opportunities and potential solutions across high-income countries and LMICs.