This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
On June 17, 2020, the Ministry of Health raised the alarm over the proliferation of faulty Covid-19 testing kits in the country.
According to Dr Rashid Aman, Chief Administrative Secretary at the Ministry of Health, the kits in question are Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDTs) that claim to detect Covid-19 antibodies in individuals.
"The test is called the anti-body based Rapid Diagnostic test. They have permeated the market, and they are being presented as a test for the diagnosis of Covid-19," Dr Aman explained.
However, the Ministry of Health has only approved the use of Real-Time PCR tests for Covid-19 diagnosis, and Dr Aman emphasized that the RDT tests are still under consideration by the World Health Organisation.
Dr Aman also highlighted the flaws in the RDT testing kits, stating that they are not sufficiently sensitive and specific to detect Covid-19, and their use in diagnosis is still uncertain.
"The tests, however, show that an individual was exposed to Covid-19 and mounted a response resulting to release of antibodies and that is what is picked by the test," Dr Aman noted.
