This archive report was first published on 18 June 2020.
On June 18, 2020, the Ministry of Health in Kenya received a significant boost in its efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 with the donation of COVID-19 test kits from Base Titanium, the country's largest mining company.
The test kits, known as Sansure COVID-19 Nucleic Acid Diagnostic Kits, have the capacity to conduct 1,344 COVID-19 tests and are a crucial component in the government's efforts to contain the pandemic.
According to Dr. Melba Wasunna, Base Titanium's Manager External Affairs, the donation was made in response to a request from the State Department for Mining Principal Secretary Kaberia, who recognized the need to build testing capacity in the country.
Dr. Wasunna added that the test kits are part of Base Titanium's COVID-19 support programmes, which also include the installation of handwashing stations, provision of food packages to vulnerable households, and training of additional health workers in Kwale County.
The donation comes at a time when African health authorities are struggling to compete with richer countries for scarce testing materials due to increased demand, as reported by The Lancet. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has emphasized the need for fast and accurate testing.
Health CAS Dr. Rashid Aman received the test kits at Afya House and thanked Base Titanium for their support, acknowledging the dire need for personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical equipment in the country.
Base Titanium's intervention is part of the company's COVID-19 Strategy, which aims to ease the burden on communities, authorities, and staff in the wake of the pandemic. The company has invested over Sh 80 million in various programmes, including food donation to over 50,000 households, provision of 100 ventilators, and distribution of personal protective equipment and sanitation stations.
