At a time when our health systems are completely overwhelmed, vaccination alone will not stop the pandemic and supplementary tools, such as intensified testing and contact tracing must be strengthened and strategically deployed, says a new report launched on Thursday morning by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India and The Rockefeller Foundation (RF).
The report titled, ‘The Road Ahead for Smart Covid-19 Testing and Tracing in India’ carries high-level recommendations curated by a panel of eminent experts, such as Dr Shahid Jameel, Professor NK Ganguly, Dr Sangeeta Reddy, Dr Navin Dang, Dr. Swati Piramal, Mr. JVR Prasada Rao, Dr Shirshendu Mukherjee and Dr Virander Singh Chauhan. The aim of the report is to offer actionable recommendations to make Covid-19 testing equitable, cost-effective and scalable.
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In order 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, the report has said.
The Rockefeller Foundation, has provided more than $10 million to institutions and programs in India like the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms, the UNICEF, the Indian Institute of Technology, the Piramal Swasthya Management and Research Institute, PATH, Covid Action Collab, GiveIndia and approved an additional $3.5 million in emergency aid to organizations responding to the current surge of Covid-19 cases.
“Overcoming the challenges posed by Covid-19 requires continuous learning and application of insights to improve public health outcomes,” said Dr. Rajiv J Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation.
Last week, the World Health Organization reclassified the highly contagious B.1.617 strain, which was first identified in India, as a “variant of concern.” The strain has two key mutations that have raised concerns amongst scientists. While India has continued to ramp up vaccination efforts, testing and tracing, remains a critical public health mitigation measure to identify where the virus is spreading and target resources accordingly. Testing is also vital to genetic sequencing and identifying new or circulating variants.
The recommendations in the report make a case for reinforced testing and tracing measures to limit the ongoing pandemic and avert impending ones. Commenting on the report, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Prof. K Vijay Raghavan said, “Since the outbreak of the pandemic, constant testing and tracing have benefited 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, vaccines. This focused report, with actionable recommendations, can serve as a resource in informing us specifically in areas of testing and tracing.”
