From May 19 to 27, 2025, the 78th World Health Assembly (WHA78) was held in Geneva, Switzerland under the theme “One World for Health.” The Assembly brought together senior representatives and stakeholders from around the world to address urgent topics such as sustainable financing, universal health coverage (UHC), health system resilience, and data-driven global collaboration.

As part of WHA78, a side event titled “China’s Medical Technology Innovation and Its Implication for Global Health” was co-hosted by the Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University, and the Geneva Health Forum. The session focused on how Chinese innovation in medical technology can address healthcare challenges in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and explored pathways for equitable and effective integration of these technologies into the global health system.

The event was supported by leading figures and organizations in the global health field. Prof. Margaret Chan, Founding Dean of the Vanke School of Public Health, Tsinghua University and Honorary Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), delivered the opening speech, offering a strategic perspective on global health governance. Associate Professor Kun Tang, the session’s chief organizer, gave a keynote address on the critical role of medical innovation in improving healthcare quality in LMICs.

Additional participants included representatives from the Ministry of Health of Equatorial Guinea, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), WHO, the Gates Foundation, and global health enterprises. Discussions centered on how Chinese diagnostic innovation can contribute to global health equity through multilateral cooperation.

Pluslife Attends WHA78 Side Event, Prof. Songyang Zhou Delivers Presentation

As a representative of China’s molecular diagnostic innovation, Pluslife was invited to attend the WHA78 side event. Prof. Songyang Zhou, Founder and Chief Scientist of Pluslife, gave a keynote presentation introducing how Near-Patient Molecular Diagnostics (Near-POCT) can empower primary healthcare systems and improve diagnostic equity and accessibility.

Addressing Frontline Challenges in LMICs

In his presentation, Prof. Zhou highlighted persistent challenges in LMIC healthcare delivery—namely, shortages of equipment and personnel, and unaffordable testing—leading to long patient wait times, high rates of missed diagnoses, and delayed treatment. These systemic barriers further strain public health capacity and limit access to timely, reliable care.

To address these issues, Pluslife proposed an ideal diagnostic model featuring rapid turnaround, high sensitivity and specificity, low cost, simplified workflow, and support for flexible sampling such as tongue swabs—aimed at achieving the vision of “anyone, anywhere, can be tested.”

From Breakthrough to Global Practice: Near-POCT in Action

Based on its proprietary RHAM technology platform, Pluslife has developed a range of Near-POCT solutions for infectious disease diagnosis. Its TB molecular test delivers PCR-comparable performance without the need for complex nucleic acid extraction. Results are available in as little as five minutes, with minimal training required, significantly lowering the barrier to use in primary care settings.

The solution supports both sputum and tongue-swab samples. The tongue-swab option provides an effective supplement for patients unable to produce sputum, such as children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised. In a multi-center pilot study, tongue-swab testing demonstrated 85.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity—surpassing WHO standards and significantly outperforming smear microscopy.

To date, the solution has been deployed in over ten LMICs and is currently undergoing validation across more than 100,000 global samples, offering a practical and scalable TB diagnostic model from China to the world.

Sustained Commitment to Global Diagnostic Equity

Pluslife is not only a technological innovator but also an active advocate for diagnostic equity. Guided by the principles of accessibility, affordability, and adaptability, the company is working to extend Near-POCT solutions to underserved areas worldwide.

Its solutions have been implemented in more than 40 countries, with a focus on early detection of high-burden diseases such as TB and reinforcing diagnostic capacity in resource-limited primary care systems.

Through collaborations with international organizations including the Gates Foundation, FIND, PATH, and WHO, Pluslife continues to contribute scalable, field-validated innovations to the global health landscape.

Looking forward, Pluslife will continue advancing portable, user-friendly molecular diagnostics to build a more inclusive, equitable, and sustainable global health system.