Project description
Innovative testing for tuberculosis
Tuberculosis (TB) remains the infectious disease with the highest mortality rate globally, exacerbated by COVID-19. The EU-funded 4-CAGE-TB project aims to develop revolutionary TB triage tests. It will focus on collecting cough sounds at primary care entry points in South Africa to create an audio classifier. The classifier will categorise individuals as 'likely TB' or 'unlikely TB' for referral to confirmatory testing. This will be validated with independent cohorts in South Africa and Uganda. Mixed-methods research will guide the design and implementation of the classifier, which will be integrated into a user-friendly mHealth app with offline functionality. 4-CAGE-TB’s goal is to deliver an accurate, validated tool for use in clinical trials.
Objective
Tuberculosis (TB) is the single biggest infectious cause of death globally, a situation worsened by COVID-19. Revolutionary new TB triage tests are required, including at facilities where people are accessible and efficiently referable to confirmatory testing. The Cough Audio triaGE for TB (CAGE-TB) study was EDCTP2-funded to 1) collect cough sounds at people’s point-of-entry into primary care facilities (South Africa) and derive an audio classifier, 2) validate diagnostic accuracy in independent cohorts (South Africa, Uganda), and 3) deploy mixed methods research (costing, implementation science, medical anthropology) to inform design and implementation so that this classifier, which will report people as “likely TB” or “unlikely TB” for confirmatory testing, is embedded within a user-friendly mHealth app with on-device offline computation. Per the original call’s objective, CAGE-TB’s goal was to deliver an accurate validated mHealth app usable in trials assessing clinical outcomes (necessary for adoption). Uniquely, this pure mHealth innovation mitigates barriers that jeopardise target product profile criteria (e.g. reagents, cold-chain, transport, infrastructure). After CAGE-TB hired personnel, COVID-19 prevented and slowed recruitment (people had limited clinic access, recruitment interrupted by successive COVID-19 waves). Throughout this, CAGE-TB paid personnel and trainees, resulting in severe budget overruns without participant recruitment, and limited trainee progress and site visits. In 4-CAGE-TB we request essential support over two years to accomplish the original scope-of-work, ensure trainees can finish degrees and, due to the longer recruitment period, accommodate critical additional site visits. COVID-19 has only reinforced our premise: it caused TB to increase for the first time in a decade, damaged already weak facility-based triage practices, and accelerated cough classification technologies.
Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.1 - Health
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-JU-GH-EDCTP3-2023-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
7600 Stellenbosch
South Africa
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.