Wrong diagnosis and inadequate treatment of bloodstream infections (BSI) contribute to the increase of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Hospitals and laboratories in low-resource settings are particularly affected, often lacking the resources for accurate diagnostics and targeted antibiotic use. A team of African and European researchers have been working on a simplified, cheap and robust blood culture system, which enables better diagnostics and more accurate administration of antibiotics in low-income countries.
In the capacity-sharing SIMBLE project, a team of African and European researchers is transforming the way bloodstream infections are diagnosed. At the heart of their effort is BactInsight, which draws on the daily challenges faced in clinical settings across West Africa. BactInsight is a simplified blood culture system that can resist dust, humidity, and power cuts. This field-adapted solution allows for earlier and more accurate diagnosis of bloodstream infections, even outside conventional labs, enabling faster, more appropriate treatment and reducing the misuse of antibiotics.
Carine Kotchare, laboratory technician at Boko hospital, scans a BactInsight blood culture bottle for measurement with the TurbidimeterLocal production as a lever for sustainable impact
Between 2022 and 2025, the research team evaluated the system during a field study in Benin and Burkina Faso. To facilitate this research, a production unit with the needed equipment for manufacturing of culture media, such as blood culture bottles, was installed in a shipping container and transported overseas to Benin. “By stimulating local production, we wanted to increase the availability of the products needed for the diagnosis of bacterial infections. Better diagnosis leads to better treatment and is thus an important weapon in the fight against AMR,” said Liselotte Hardy, research coordinator of the SIMBLE project.
What makes this project unique is its focus on reverse innovation, developed and driven by scientists from resource-limited settings, as well as its potential to influence local production and in-vitro diagnostics.
Inside the production container in Cotonou, BeninWhen researchers collaborate across borders to address global challenges, they generate knowledge that is both locally grounded and globally relevant. Through joint research, co-creation, and the translation of innovation into policy and practice, higher education institutions contribute to building a just, sustainable, and interconnected world.
The SIMBLE project is supported by the EDCTP2 Programme of the European Union and involves seven international partners:
- Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), Belgium
- Ghent University (UGent), Belgium
- Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), Belgium
- Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA), France
- Reactivos Para Diagnóstico (RPD), Spain
- Centre National Hospitalier Universitaire de Pneumo-Phtisiologie (CNHU-PPC), Benin
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo (CHUYO), Burkina Faso
