AbstractINTRODUCTIONSARS-CoV-2 testing is one of the options to combat COVID-19 in Kenya. In the first COVID-19 year there was limited tapping of the private sector’s potential to scale up testing in Kenya. In April 2020, we initiated a unique public-private partnership (PPP) project in Kisumu County connecting the private sector to centralized testing supported by the ministry of health (MoH), ‘COVID-Dx’, to accelerate the local response to COVID-19. Within COVID-Dx, we aimed to demonstrate this PPP’s performance as a replicable model for effective public-private collaboration in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic in similar settings.METHODSKEMRI, Department of Health Kisumu County, PharmAccess Foundation, and local faith-based and private healthcare facilities collaborated in COVID-Dx. COVID-Dx was implemented from June 01, 2020, to March 31, 2021, in Kisumu County, Kenya. Trained laboratory technologists in participating healthcare facilities collected nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal samples from patients meeting the MoH COVID-19 case definition. Samples were tested at the central laboratory in KEMRI via SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. Healthcare workers in participating facilities collected data using the digitized MoH COVID-19 Case Identification Form. We shared aggregated results from these data via (semi-) live dashboard to all relevant stakeholders. We did descriptive statistical analyses using Stata 16 to inform project processes.RESULTSNine facilities participated in the project. A total of 4,324 PCR tests for SARS-CoV-2 were done, with 425 positives. We noted differences in positivity rates between the facilities. Healthcare workers were the largest group tested in the project, 1009, representing 43% of the Kisumu healthcare workforce.CONCLUSIONCOVID-Dx can serve as a model for PPPs scale-up testing, especially LMICs, and digitizing the MoH case report form improved reporting efficiency, demonstrating that digital is the way forward. The COVID-Dx PPP has led to another collaboration with Kisumu County aimed towards extending the COVID-Dx model to other counties.SUMMARY BOXWhat is already known?In sub-Saharan Africa, COVID-19 responses are mainly rolled out through the public healthcare sector, even though the private sector plays a significant role in health service deliveryThe challenge is to combine private and public efforts in healthcare delivery in a mutually supportive and collaborative manner, especially during large outbreaks such as COVID-19.What are the new findings?The development of a public-private partnership (COVID-Dx) at the start of a global pandemic - COVID-19 – is challenging, but PPPs are essential for epidemic preparedness.The development of a digital app with a corresponding dashboard, ensures transparency and efficiency. It has shown to enable data-driven decision-making and provides insight into how to prioritize funding streams.What do the new findings imply?This PPP model is replicable and can serve as an example of PPPs for epidemic preparedness in similar settings in LMICs.Digital is the way going forward when combatting large outbreaks in the future, especially in LMICs