A new tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic initiative backed by a Sh232.2 million ($1.8 million) investment is poised to significantly expand access to testing across Africa, offering fresh hope in the fight against one of the continent’s deadliest infectious diseases.
The funding, announced by the Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund, will support clinical validation of the Lung Flute ECO diagnostic device in South Africa, Mozambique and Uganda. The investment marks the largest single commitment within GHIT’s latest global health research and development portfolio.
At the centre of the initiative is the Lung Flute ECO, a non-invasive device designed to improve sputum collection for TB testing, long a major barrier to accurate diagnosis. Traditional methods require patients to produce deep-lung sputum samples, a process that is often difficult for children, healthcare workers and people living with HIV.
The new device uses acoustic vibrations to help patients generate adequate samples, potentially widening access to TB diagnosis in resource-limited settings. Earlier research indicates the technology can increase sputum volume and improve testing yield, particularly among vulnerable groups who struggle with conventional expectoration methods.
The multi-country validation programme will enroll more than 8,000 participants to assess the device’s performance against existing diagnostic approaches and determine its suitability for large-scale deployment.
The Lung Flute ECO project brings together a consortium of African and international partners, including the Aurum Institute, Stellenbosch University, Instituto Nacional de Saúde and the World Alliance for Lung and Intensive Care Medicine.
The collaboration reflects a growing push to anchor global health innovation within African research ecosystems while ensuring technologies are tailored to local realities.
Beyond laboratory validation, researchers will examine how the device performs in community screening programmes when combined with digital chest X-ray and computer-aided detection tools. The study will collect data on diagnostic yield, safety, patient acceptability and cost-effectiveness, with results intended to support future review by the World Health Organization.
In a notable shift from traditional donor-driven models, the project also aims to establish sustainable local manufacturing capacity on the continent. Stakeholders say this approach could reduce long-term dependence on imported diagnostics while strengthening African health-technology ecosystems.
The initiative forms part of six GHIT-funded projects worth a combined Sh1.14 billion ($8.8 million), announced earlier this month. The broader portfolio includes investments in malaria vaccines, AI-guided drug discovery for schistosomiasis and new treatments for Chagas disease.
Tuberculosis remains one of the world’s leading infectious killers, with Africa bearing a disproportionate share of the burden. Experts have long warned that undiagnosed TB cases particularly among children and immunocompromised populations, continue to fuel transmission across many countries.
If the ongoing trials confirm its effectiveness, health officials say the device could become a critical tool in expanding early detection and treatment access for millions of Africans bringing the continent closer to global targets to end TB by 2030.
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