September 29, 2020
1 min read

120mn Covid 19 rapid tests to be rolled out for poorer countries

The World Health Organization (WHO) will roll out at least 120 million affordable, high-quality rapid Covid-19 tests for low and middle-income countries, said in an announcement on Monday

According to a statement , the organisations involved in agreement include the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), Global Fund, Unitaid, and the WHO.

The WHO and the leading partners will ahead with the project despite it not being fully funded yet.

“As part of this comprehensive, end-to-end effort, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has executed separate volume guarantee agreements with rapid diagnostic test (RDT) producers Abbott and SD Biosensor.

“These two arrangements will make available to LMICs 120 million antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag RDTs) over a period of six months,” the WHO statement said.

It further said that these tests provide results in 15-30 minutes, rather than hours or days, and will enable expansion of testing, particularly in countries that do not have extensive laboratory facilities or trained health workers to implement molecular (polymerase-chain reaction or PCR) tests.

An emergency-use listing was issued by the WHO last week for the antigen-based rapid Covid-19 diagnostic tests which cost $5 each.

“High-quality rapid tests show us where the virus is hiding, which is key to quickly tracing and isolating contacts and breaking the chains of transmission,” Monday’s statement quoted WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as saying.

“The tests are a critical tool for governments as they look to reopen economies and ultimately save both lives and livelihoods.”

As of Tuesday, the overall number of global coronavirus stood at 33,273,720 million, while the deaths have increased to 1,000,825, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Also read:WHO Chief Warns of Growing Hunger

Previous Story

Fusion Of Flavours

Next Story

Resilience, A Pathway To Cope With Stress

Latest from -Top News

‘Modi’s a Very Good Friend’: Trump

Trump’s remarks come days after Modi called him to congratulate on the “success” of the Gaza peace plan….reports Asian Lite News US President Donald Trump on Monday lauded India and described Prime

Delhi, Ottawa Hit Reset

The Canadian Foreign Minister met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday in New Delhi, vowing to strengthen the ties…reports Asian Lite News As India and Canada

Gaza Truce Signed, Key Players Missing

Sisi reiterated support for the implementation of the Gaza ceasefire plan, stressing that the agreement must be “solidified and all its phases implemented…reports Asian Lite News A document formalising the recently brokered

India, US Step Up Trade Talks

The development comes in the backdrop of the new US ambassador Sergio Gor taking charge in the US embassy is New Delhi….reports Asian Lite News India and the United States are progressing
Go toTop