Stellenbosch University (SU) has been awarded a substantial grant from the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership (EDCTP) to support research aimed at developing a rapid diagnostic test for childhood tuberculosis meningitis (TBM). 

TBM is one of the most severe forms of tuberculosis (TB) and poses a significant threat to children. Caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the disease affects the brain and spinal cord and can lead to severe neurological disabilities if not diagnosed and treated time.

A major challenge in combating TBM is the difficulty of diagnosing it early. Delays in diagnosis mean that approximately half of those ultimately diagnosed either die or suffer lifelong neurological complications.

“A rapid diagnostic test would be a gamechanger, particularly in high-burden regions such as sub-Saharan Africa and Asia,” said Professor Novel Chegou of SU’s Department of Biomedical Sciences. 

The EDCTP grant, valued at more than €2 million (over R37,5 million), will fund the PRECISE-TBM project (“Prospective evaluation and refinement of novel biomarker-based point-of-care tests for the diagnosis of TBM in children”). Building on previous EDCTP-supported research, the project aims to develop and assess new biomarker-based diagnostic tests tailored for use in high-burden TB settings, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

SU will serve as the coordination institution for the multinational collaboration, which brings together six partner organisations.

Chegou, professor of immunology and head of a research group specialising in TB biomarkers, will lead the project as principal investigator.

“Our hope is that by the end of the project, we will have validated three TBM diagnostic tests in the field and generated sufficient evidence for regulatory approval,” he said.

Chegou explained that diagnosing TBM remains difficult primarily due to the lack of accessible, easy-to-use diagnostic tools, especially those suitable for primary healthcare settings such as day hospitals, where most patients first seek care.

“Because simple diagnostic tools are lacking, patients, and especially children, typically visit healthcare facilities four to six times before the disease is diagnosed,” he noted. “Diagnosis is usually confirmed at tertiary referral hospitals, as primary and secondary healthcare facilities often lack the specialised equipment and expertise required. These delays contribute directly to poor outcomes, with about half of diagnosed patients either dying or suffering permanent neurological damage.”

If successful, the project will deliver three easy-to-use diagnostic tests capable of producing results within two to 15 minutes. “Healthcare workers would be able to select the test best suited to their particular setting,” Chegou added.

Welcoming the grant and SU’s leadership role, Chegou emphasised the project’s potential impact: “TBM is a devastating disease. It is difficult to see children suffer, especially when earlier diagnosis could have changed their outcomes. Being able to contribute to a solution that could improve these outcomes is deeply meaningful. The social impact of this research is immense.”

He added that his team is already working to ensure global applicability of the tests, in collaboration with the University’s technology transfer office, Innovus.

Professor Sibusiso Moyo, SU’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Internationalisation, also welcomed the grant. “The PRECISE-TBM project is a multisectoral, multinational and multidisciplinary collaboration. It relies on strong partnerships between academics, clinicians and an African-based biotech company whose technology underpins the new diagnostic tools.”