If an improved rapid nucleic acid–amplification test is adopted globally, it could help avert more than 15 million tuberculosis-related deaths by 2050.9 However, even the most promising diagnostic test will have only limited impact if it does not reach the patients who need it. As with any diagnostic test or intervention, its actual impact will depend on the system in which it is used. Health systems must be strengthened so that patients do not delay in seeking care and have prompt access to appropriate treatment once they receive a diagnosis. Health-system barriers to the use of improved technologies must be anticipated and addressed. Although the burden on health systems will be reduced by a simple dipsticklike, point-of-care assay, such tests are not likely to be available in the short term.7
To realize the potential of improved technologies, a diverse set of stakeholders need to support large-scale innovation and delivery. Scientists and industry need to develop radically improved tools, including drugs and vaccines, while offering reasonable pricing that reflects public health needs and economic realities in resource-limited countries.