Partnership to drive improvement in testing sensitivity through gold-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs)
Field studies to commence in communities plagued by malaria
The World Gold Council, the market development organisation for the gold industry, is partnering with Global Good, a collaboration between Intellectual Ventures and Bill Gates to invent technology that improves life in developing countries. The partners aim to conduct technical evaluations of methods to improve the sensitivity, further the reach, and enhance the reliability, of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for febrile diseases, with an emphasis on malaria.
Dr Trevor Keel, Head of Technology at the World Gold Council, will announce the partnership alongside representatives from Global Good today at an event held at the World Bank headquarters in Washington, DC.
Because traces of gold are critical to the accuracy of RDTs most commonly used to detect malaria and other infectious diseases, the partnership has been formed to conduct research to enhance the sensitivity and reliability of RDTs, and explore the development of new tools—containing gold—to diagnose infectious diseases. The partnership also will explore diagnostics inventions, including reader technologies, that could improve access to quality health care in mining communities, where the lack of cost effective medical equipment and complex supply chains are hindering the eradication of malaria and other infectious diseases.
The first field evaluations of RDTs will begin in mid-2015 in Uganda and the Solomon Islands.
ENDS
For further information please contact:
Peter Tulupman
World Gold Council
T +1 212 317 3881
E [email protected]
Note to editors:
World Gold Council
The World Gold Council is the market development organisation for the gold industry. Working within the investment, jewellery and technology sectors, as well as engaging in government affairs, our purpose is to provide industry leadership, whilst stimulating and sustaining demand for gold.
We develop gold-backed solutions, services and markets, based on true market insight. As a result, we create structural shifts in demand for gold across key market sectors.
We provide insights into the international gold markets, helping people to better understand the wealth preservation qualities of gold and its role in meeting the social and environmental needs of society.
Based in the UK, with operations in India, the Far East, Europe and the US, the World Gold Council is an association whose members include the world’s leading and most forward thinking gold mining companies.
