Last Updated: 20/08/2026
Field assessment of dried Plasmodium falciparum samples for malaria rapid diagnostic test quality control and proficiency testing in Ethiopia
Objectives
The overall goal of this project was to determine the operational feasibility of using dried tube specimens (DTS) as quality control and proficiency testing samples for malaria RDTs. DTS and RDTs stored at a reference laboratory were compared to DTS and RDTs stored at two health facilities to determine the ability of DTS to detect failing RDTs and also how a QC activity based on DTS can be incorporated into a larger RDT quality assurance program.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), United States
Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are now widely used for laboratory confirmation of suspected malaria cases to comply with the World Health Organization recommendation for universal testing before treatment. However, many malaria programmes lack quality control (QC) processes to assess RDT use under field conditions. Prior research showed the feasibility of using the dried tube specimen (DTS) method for preserving Plasmodium falciparum parasites for use as QC samples for RDTs. This study focused on the use of DTS for RDT QC and proficiency testing under field conditions.
Jan 2013 — Dec 2013
$10,000
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