The SeroSelectTB Consortium kick-off meeting was held digitally 24-26 August 2021. The official project kick-off was originally scheduled for August 2020 but was delayed by one year due to COVID-19-related restrictions. Unfortunately, the kick-off could not be held face-to-face as originally planned.
At total of 24 project partners and our 5 Consortium Assembly members attended the various sessions. A few of the attendees were not able to join us for the screenshot that was taken in lieu of a consortium group photo.
Presentations by partners on Day 1 included an overview of the SeroSelectTB project, walk-through site visits, descriptions of the project’s Cloud solution for integrated project data management and our electronic case report form (eCRF), a video of the SeroSelectTB test production and facilities at Lateral Flow Laboratories, and an antigen expression “made easy” presentation. Day 2 was devoted to presentations from Stellenbosch University (SU) describing their experiences with pre-trial training and capacity building, and a video of an experienced research nurse acting as a study participant and providing answers to questions asked according to the eCRF. Our randomization app and the screening log used at SU were described, and lessons learned from preparations for the study start in Cape Town were shared. Participant enrolment will commence at one site in South Africa in mid-September. An introduction to and experiences with regularity procedures and submission principles were presented on Day 3. Numerous proposed add-on studies to be conducted in South Africa, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Europe were described. The Consortium kick-off meeting concluded with feedback from the Consortium Assembly (CA) members. The CA remarked that all aspects of our project address practical TB control measures and the priorities of national TB control programs, and thereby serve to strengthen healthcare systems.
Committee meetings (Research Supervisory, Field Evaluation Trial, Data Monitoring and Consortium Assembly) were held after the morning session.