Aspect Diagnostic Network Expands into Bangladesh

Digital Diagnostic Backbone Essential to Accelerate Bangladesh’s Fight Against HIV, TB, COVID and other infectious diseases

Mohammad Jahid Hasan (front), Medical technologist of the ICDDRB Lab, works with Imram Galib, SystemOne installer and support engineer, using the Aspect software to work with GeneXpert diagnostic results.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. and JOHANNESBURG, South Africa; March 3, 2022 - SystemOne announces a national scale-up of the Aspect platform in Bangladesh, where Aspect and its predecessor GxAlert have helped accelerate Bangladesh’s mission to combat the infectious disease will increase use of molecular diagnostic devices. The scale-up increases connectivity from 39 diagnostic devices and labs to 469 in 2022, and will expand to 649 devices by 2024, all connected to the Aspect network

“Connectivity enables a host of new capabilities while reducing endemic challenges in rapidly diagnosing and treating patients,” said Chris Macek, CEO, SystemOne. “The resulting diagnostic network optimization has far-reaching impacts, from managing supplies and reducing stock-outs of diagnostic tests to rapidly dealing with operational problems and reducing time-to-treatment for patients.”

Bangladesh originally sought a connectivity solution because of high rates of inoperative devices, a high percentage of errors, and frequent cartridge stockouts, resulting in low uptake of the GeneXpert network. These factors undermined the diagnostic intervention’s effectiveness, reducing the likelihood of getting DR-TB patients onto treatment fast. With new investments in additional diagnostic devices, it was critical to introduce remote monitoring, inventory management, and more visibility into device utilization and maintenance.

“Our work with SystemOne will help us optimize our diagnostic network to ensure proper device utilization, timely training, and rapid patient follow-up while minimizing device errors and supply shortages," said Mohammad Jahid Hasan, Medical technologist of the ICDDRB Lab, Mirpur, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

In 2017, at the conclusion of the 5-device pilot program, SystemOne scaled up its initial systems in Bangladesh to 39 connected labs and devices. Even at this low level, it became clear that connectivity could play a pivotal role in diagnostic infrastructure. The system’s real-time mobile and desktop dashboards and alerts enabled the Tuberculosis Program to decrease maintenance & support turnaround time from 5-14 months to 2 weeks while raising the functional module rate above 90%. In addition, it helped:

• Reduce trends in unsuccessful tests and error rates by more than 50%
  

• Automate reporting to provide timely understanding of issues in the diagnostic network
  

• Identify the need for site-level interventions, such as additional training or equipment cleaning
  

• Capture demographic information of presumptive TB and DR-TB patients
  

• Prevent stock-outs and optimize cartridge and supply procurement, distribution and management, and
  

• Capture mutation data.
  

This information was published in 2018 by Management Science for Health, in the report: “Technical Approaches to TB: Challenge TB, SIAPS & Track TB.”

Dr. Pronab Modak, DPM (Training), NTP, DGHS shares his experience working with Aspect.

Despite Bangladesh’s high TB and MDR-TB burden, with national MDR-TB prevalence estimated at 1.6% among new TB Cases and 29% among previously treated TB cases (according to a 2017 WHO Global TB Report), the country is a strong advocate for achieving international sustainable development goals, which range from health to environmental and economic arenas.

“We are so proud to work with the National Tuberculosis Control Programme in Bangladesh,” said Brad Cunningham, Chief Operating Officer, SystemOne. “They have committed significant resources to the diagnostic network, and have the vision to ensure that it delivers on its promise.”

The Bangladesh scale-up is funded by The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria with the Directorate General of Health Services, National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Program.

About SystemOne:

Founded in Massachusetts in 2012, SystemOne focuses on producing solutions for disease surveillance and response. SystemOne has offices in Northampton, MA and Johannesburg, South Africa. The company’s new disease intelligence software, Aspect®, addresses numerous infectious diseases including Zika, Ebola, HIV, Malaria, Hepatitis C, TB, COVID-19 and more on a host of medical diagnostic devices.

CONTACTS:

Press Inquiries: Nicolas Boillot at nboillot@systemone.id

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