PATH, a global nonprofit organization founded in Seattle in 1977, is a leader in leveraging an “end-to-end” approach to huge public health challenges, from Ebola to malaria to the most common cause of maternal postpartum deaths.
Diagnostics – The Untold Story
At PATH’s headquarters in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood, scientists in the Product Development Engineering Lab and Biosafety Level 2 laboratory are developing diagnostic tools and devices that are critical for epidemic preparedness and response.
On the front lines with Ebola
Right now, PATH is partnering with health professionals around the world to address the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and diagnostics is leading the way.
The World Health Organization said last month that the virus has killed more than 1,000 people and infected at least 2,400 in the DRC but warned the country’s real numbers may be two to four times higher.
Dr. Gonzalo Domingo, Global Program Director for PATH’s Diagnostics Program, says, “There are lots of challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo on top of which there is a conflict. And this is a less common strain of Ebola. There is no vaccine and no therapeutic treatment. The current tests haven’t been qualified and we don’t know if they are accurate. Without accurate diagnostics, you’re kind of blind in trying to manage this outbreak. There is a real urgency.”
Racing to get this first step in place, Dr. Domingo says, “Because we have the lab here in Seattle and an office in the DRC, we can provide tech support and partner with groups around the world to get all categories of tests developed, qualified and used as soon as possible. It requires a lot of collaboration and teamwork, in context of the urgency of this time.
When we can quickly and accurately diagnose a disease, we can better treat it, prevent it, and contain the spread before it crosses borders.”
Malaria – Bringing a new drug to fight an age-old killer
A virtually unknown disease in the US, malaria is a growing killer in 80 other countries, with an estimated 282 million malaria cases and 610,000 malaria deaths in 2025, according to the WHO.
The Who African Region had about 95% of malaria cases that year – 265 million – and 75% of the cases were in children under 5.
Again, diagnostics is proving to be the essential first step in stemming the growth of this deadly disease. Domingo says, “There is one form of malaria that has spread across the world that is different from the most common strain. If it’s treated with the common anti-malaria drug, the patient will still have malaria and there’s a real risk of creating a drug-resistant strain.
“Until recently, the current drug for this strain has been a 14-day regimen, which is very hard to stick to. The drug can also cause further illness if the patients have a common genetic condition, so we also needed a test for that condition, and a one-dose drug, and we needed to get them out at low cost to low-resource communities.”
Partnering with country programs, manufacturers, regulators and donors such as the Gates Foundation, and using its lab, PATH was able to work with manufacturers to provide a test at an affordable price, a test that ensures the drug’s safety. The result: “The right test got out and all of a sudden people in multiple countries are getting treated safely with these drugs — in the same way they would in the US.”
Saving mothers’ lives
Severe bleeding after childbirth is the leading cause of maternal death worldwide, and can kill an otherwise healthy woman in less than two hours if she does not receive adequate care. In wealthy countries, this is treated with devices that cost up to $1,000 each, out of reach in many places.
PATH and partners created a comparable, easy-to-use device that can stop bleeding quickly and safely—and costs just $7. The device is now registered in more than 25 countries with over 40,000 units already in use.
End-to-End Collaboration on a Global Scale
With PATH’s work on Ebola, Malaria and postpartum bleeding, as in all global health crises, Domingo says, “We look at all aspects of what it takes to get a product to market — technology that will be affordable, manufacturers who will be able to get it made and available, making sure we’re engaging the communities and health care workers.
Our labs here in Seattle allow us to look at research and development; we establish partnerships and identify the gaps and potential slowdowns, and make sure the products actually get to those healthcare workers. It’s very much a web.”
Health threats are growing more complex while scientific and technological advances are creating new possibilities faster than ever before. Yet for millions of people, the benefits of those innovations remain out of reach.
With a workforce of more than 1,300, offices in 23 countries and ongoing work in more than 70 countries throughout Africa, Asia and Latin America, PATH constantly works with governments, technology companies, pharmaceutical companies and communities to develop high-impact health products and put them in the hands of health workers. To read more about the PATH strategy and a look at the future, visit PATH.org
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