Rockefeller Foundation recommends equitable, cost-effective and scalable COVID-19 testing and tracing

“A report released by the Rockefeller Foundation recommends equitable, cost-effective and scalable solutions in India that will bolster the country’s pandemic response in a resource-constrained environment

The Rockefeller Foundation has released a strategic roadmap for strengthening testing and tracing to help control this surge and to manage future COVID-19 waves.

“The Road Ahead for Smart COVID-19 Testing and Tracing in India” is an evidence-based report with recommendations to support equitable, cost-effective and scalable solutions in India that will bolster the country’s pandemic response in a resource-constrained environment. The report is based on insights and inputs from an expert advisory panel convened by the foundation over the course of seven months.

Last week, the World Health Organization (WHO) reclassified the highly contagious B.1.617 strain, which was first identified in India, as a “variant of concern.” As noted by India’s health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan and public health experts, the B.1.617 variant has contributed to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases and the resulting strain on hospitals and medical resources.

“The urgency of beating COVID-19 – and the risk of further variant outbreaks that prolong it – require us to use every tool we can imagine right now to end the pandemic for everyone, everywhere. The recommendations in our report make a case for reinforced testing and tracing measures to limit the ongoing pandemic and avert the impending ones,” said Dr Rajiv J Shah, President, Rockefeller Foundation.

Commenting further on the report, Professor K Vijay Raghavan, Principal Scientific Advisor (PSA) to the Government of India, said, “Since the outbreak of the pandemic, constant testing and tracing has benefitted us significantly. This was possible due to the speedy advancement through science, technology and innovation. Quick recalibration of priorities and impact-driven public-private partnerships have steered us to achieve better capacity in testing, diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines. This focussed report, with actionable recommendations, can serve as a resource in informing us specifically in areas of testing and tracing.”

The report recommends that, to effectively protect the population from COVID-19, testing and tracing strategies should be further strengthened and contextualised through a cafeteria-style approach to testing (enabling the availability of a diverse portfolio of tests with clear guidance); undertaking well-designed sero-surveys; setting regulatory pathways and quality checks on new testing technologies; ensuring equitable access to testing; and scaling genome sequencing efforts.

Apart from it, it also says that testing capacity, availability and accessibility must be improved by using pooled procurement through a consortium facilitated by the Centre to reduce testing costs by a third, incentivise domestic production of testing kits and components, and control testing prices.

In addition, it says that enhancing demand forecast of testing for equilibrium will ensure that testing and tracing systems are proactive and testing suppliers are response-ready.

Building collaboration and trust with the public must also be prioritised through implementing a transparent data collection and sharing policy for researchers and citizens is another recommendation in the report.

“Overcoming the challenges posed by COVID-19 requires continuous learning and application of insights to improve public health outcomes. This is why we are proud to work with an incredible roster of experts and the office of the PSA to support the development of more inclusive testing and tracing strategies for India. Here and across the world,” added Dr Shah.