Target product profile for a low-cost test for use in bacterial meningitis outbreak response and surveillance

Overview

Acute bacterial meningitis is one of the deadliest and most disabling forms of meningitis, leading to death in one in six people, and leaving one in five people with lifelong disability after infection. The meningococcus is one of the leading causes and responsible for large-scale epidemics, a particular concern in the “African Meningitis Belt”. Bacterial meningitis cases and deaths are largely vaccine-preventable. Effective, affordable tests allowing accurate and rapid identification of the causative agent are crucially needed to inform outbreak response measures, including deciding on vaccine use. This target product profile (TPP) aims to drive innovation by providing information for multiple stakeholders including funders, researchers and product developers, on the minimum and preferred test characteristics for two intended uses:  meningococcal outbreak response and bacterial meningitis surveillance.