University Malaya leading development of affordable diagnostics and therapeutics for Malaysia and Asean

NEARLY half of the world's population still lacks access to even basic diagnostic tests. Currently, diagnostics account for only a tiny fraction of global health spending despite their central role in clinical decision-making. At the same time, the World Health Organization now treats access to medicines and health products as a core pillar of universal health coverage. This underscores that without affordable solutions, the wider population will never benefit from most medical innovations.

This global gap is especially acute in low- and middle-income countries, where underfunded laboratories, fragmented procurement, and high prices for patented therapeutics limit access to timely diagnosis and advanced treatment. In Malaysia, the latest in life-saving cancer treatments are out of reach for the average patient. While diagnostic tests for endemic diseases like dengue, monkey malaria and leptospirosis are unavailable in remote rural areas where they are most needed.