Optimizing drug-resistant tuberculosis diagnosis: cost-effectiveness of rapid molecular and phenotypic assays in South Africa
Combining rapid molecular diagnostics with pDST offers a cost-effective and clinically beneficial approach for DR-TB detection in high-burden settings. The Xpert-based strategy provides an optimal balance of diagnostic yield, early treatment, and economic efficiency in South Africa. tNGS represents a feasible alternative in settings where pDST is inaccessible, warranting further evaluation for broader implementation.
Authors
- G Fekadu
- Lan Gao
- N Chaiyakunapruk
- Tadesse Tolossa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7936-9024)
- Elias Asfaw
- Tesfaye Regassa Feyissa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6883-7312)
- Shanquan Chen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4724-4892)
- Wai Kit Ming
- Martin Siegel
- Habteyes Hailu Tola
- Lianping Yang
Institutions
- Deakin University (AU)
- Sun Yat-sen University (CN)
- City University of Hong Kong (HK)
- Peking University (CN)
- University of Utah (US)
- Universitätsmedizin Greifswald (DE)
- Wollega University (ET)
- University of Oxford (GB)
- University of Rwanda (RW)
- VA Salt Lake City Healthcare System (US)
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (GB)
- Hong Kong Jockey Club (HK)
- Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ET)
- Salale University
- University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Medicine
- Published
- 2026-02-09
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-026-04693-3
- Primary Topic
- Tuberculosis Research and Epidemiology
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00