Global Health Delivery to host online event from May 9 to May 20

By Sophie G. Beauvais, Communications & Web Content Manager, The Global Health Delivery Project at Harvard University

	Chris Gilpin, WHO, is leading the May 9-20 online event.
	Xpert MTB/RIF demonstration studies in Peru (2009) © FIND.

Since the endorsement of the Xpert MTB/RIF Diagnostic Test by the World Health Organization (WHO) in December 2010, implementers around the globe and especially those in areas with limited resources have been trying to figure out how they will be able to use this new tool in their settings. In an effort to address this, GHDonline.org is hosting an expert panel starting today, May 9, until May 20. Panelists will include:

• Christopher Gilpin, a member of the WHO’s Stop TB Department and part of the team leading the rollout of the Xpert MTB/RIF assay

• Dr. Daniela Cirillo, from Italy’s San Raffaele Scientific Institute

• Dr. Gerrit Coetzee, from South Africa’s National TB Reference Laboratory of the National Health Laboratory Service, one of the countries planning widespread roll-out of the diagnostic test

• Dr. Eduardo Gotuzzo, from the Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Peru

• Dr. Mark Perkins from FIND Diagnostics

“In April 2011, we hosted a training workshop for Early Implementers focused on the practical application of the Rapid Implementation document. The conversation covered test and site selection, patient selection and management, interim case definitions and operational considerations,” says Gilpin, who will be hosting the event, which runs from May 9 to May 20. “This forum will address challenges related to implementing this transformational technology.”

The online event will cover topics such as:

• Factors and strategies to consider when integrating the Xpert MTB/RIF Diagnostic Test and GeneXpert system into current TB diagnosis and treatment plans, especially limited resource communities

• The appropriate placement of Xpert MTB/RIF Diagnostic Test in the health care system, taking into account operational considerations, burden of disease, human resources, supply chain management, and existing TB diagnostics

• Evaluating how countries can monitor the impact of implementing the Xpert MTB/RIF Diagnostic Test and generate evidence for scaling-up

GHDonline.org is a free platform of expert-led communities with thousands of members from more than 1,500 organizations worldwide.

Expert panels are a convenient and low-cost way to share lessons learned and know-how on a specific topic with a community of professionals. If you are not a member yet, we invite you to sign up for GHDonline’s MDR-TB Treatment & Prevention Community and set your email notifications to “per post” for instant participation via email or “daily digest” to reply on the web. Then jump into the conversation and share your experiences, advice and resources.

If you are not a GHDonline member, sign up here: https://www.ghdonline.org/accounts/signup/?signup_community=drtb

The discussion--running May 9 through May 20--will be hosted here: http://www.ghdonline.org/drtb/discussion/ghdonline-expert-panel-challenges-in-rolling-out-t/