Guidance for national malaria programs and procurement teams on choosing rapid diagnostic tests where pfhrp2/3 deletions compromise HRP2-based products. WHO recommends a shift away from exclusive HRP2-based RDTs in areas where at least 5% of P. falciparum cases are missed due to negative RDTs resulting from these deletions. There are currently no WHO-prequalified products meeting requirements for non-HRP2 tests, and the guidance sets the conditions under which non-prequalified products may be procured, including acceptable diagnostic performance against both HRP2-expressing and HRP2 non-expressing parasites at 200 p/µL. Predicting field performance, WHO notes, requires a detailed understanding of the local epidemiology and should be done in consultation with experts.
Resource type: Technical guidance
Organization: World Health Organization
Languages: English