Table 5 Areas of activity and key deliverables of FIND-UNITAID project

Enable platform polyvalence and HCV/HIV integration through supporting DBS protocol development, regulatory approval and policy change

- Evaluation of DBS sampling for centralized EIA and RNA assays

- Use of existing HIV lab infrastructure for introducing HCV testing

- Demonstrate service delivery advantages of one step sampling (EIA/ RNA) using DBS

Expand use of HCV core antigen assays

- Compare cAg against gold standard as test of cure using current lab-based technology

- Evaluate feasibility, cost, cost-effectiveness and impact of cAg assay as one testing approach in high prevalence populations

- Accelerate development of POC cAg devices

Enable decentralization of HCV services

- Integration of HCV/TB/HIV assays in decentralized settings

- Demonstrate feasibility of HCV testing and treatment in different decentralized settings

- Costing of different testing/ treatment pathways across countries and sites

- Evaluate acceptability and cost-effectiveness of finger stick blood sample collection

- Accelerate development of POC molecular devices

Increase access to quality-assured HCV RDTs

- Piloting quality-assured RDTs using capillary blood in high risk groups

- Assess market and feasibility of HCV ST and/or combo test among different populations