1st Southern-African Diagnostics Forum: Diagnostics at the Frontline

Advancing HIV, Hepatitis, STI, and TB Prevention, Treatment, and Care

What's New

The 1st edition of the Southern-African Forum: Diagnostics at the Frontline – Advancing HIV, Hepatitis, STI, and TB Prevention, Treatment, and Care, will take place on 4 June 2026 as a post-conference to HIV, Infectious Diseases and Global Health Science of Implementation Conference (VISTA).
This will be an in-person forum in Cape Town, South Africa

About this Program

Infectious diseases continue to pose significant public health challenges across Africa, despite decades of progress in treatment and prevention. The persistent gap lies in timely, accurate, and equitable access to diagnostic tools — a critical element for prevention, early treatment initiation, and monitoring.

This abstract-driven workshop will unite clinicians, researchers, industry leaders, policymakers, and government representatives to explore innovations and implementation strategies that can transform Infectious Disease diagnostics in Africa.

Through interactive discussions and data-driven presentations, the workshop will promote evidence-based integration of diagnostics into care pathways, highlight novel technologies such as point-of-care and molecular testing, and support policy frameworks that accelerate access.

Industry partners are invited to support this initiative as part of their commitment to advancing global health equity, expanding prevention and treatment reach, and strengthening health systems.

Despite advancements in antiretroviral therapy and syndromic management, critical diagnostic gaps remain in Infectious Disease responses across Africa:

Delayed diagnosis: Many infections remain undetected due to limited screening infrastructure and stigma.
Unequal access: Rural and under-resourced communities lack access to reliable, afordable diagnostic services.
Limited integration of point-of-care (POC) testing: Fragmented testing systems delay linkage to care and follow-up.
Inadequate diagnostic capacity for co-infections and antimicrobial resistance (AMR): Particularly for syphilis, gonorrhea, and HPV.
Insufficient data use and quality control: Weak diagnostic information systems limit surveillance and program evaluation.

This workshop will address these challenges through multi-sector collaboration, knowledge exchange, and policy dialogue — aligning diagnostic advances with national Infectious Disease strategies and UNAIDS 95-95-95 goals.