Table 4 Implications for public health policy and practice

• Take context into account when deciding on the use of rapid diagnostics, as performance, impact, and implementation outcomes are highly variable.

• Consider the beliefs of communities and providers before implementing rapid diagnostics.

• Confirm that rapid diagnostics are feasible to implement in representative contexts before rolling out.

• Burden of work to providers, sustainability of supplies, training, and routine quality assessment are key factors to be considered before implementation.

• Invest in pragmatic evaluation before, during, and after implementation.