Giving Compass' Take:
- More antigen-based rapid testing will be accessible to countries in Africa, increasing testing in rural areas so they're not confined to only major cities in African countries.
- How can this rapid testing help achieve SDG 3: promote healthy lives and well-being for all?
- Learn about ensuring COVID-19 treatments are accessible to everyone.
What is Giving Compass?
We connect donors to learning resources and ways to support community-led solutions. Learn more about us.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is working closely with African countries to start rolling out new antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests for the novel coronavirus.
These rapid tests are expected to improve the current testing process in African countries — described by the WHO as a “game changer” for tackling the pandemic in Africa. They are easier to use and cheaper than the polymerase chain reaction tests (PCR tests) that are currently being used in most countries.
But the PCR tests require laboratories and experts to determine a diagnosis of COVID-19, which has so far limited Africa’s testing capability to large cities. More than this, the process of taking the test and receiving the results can take anywhere from 48 hours to 10 days, as those tested have to wait for confirmation from laboratories.
In contrast to this, the new antigen-based rapid tests only take 15-30 minutes to produce a result, and they can be taken in any region.
In a press conference, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, the WHO regional director for Africa, said that the new tests can revolutionise the continent’s response to COVID-19.
“The new, antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests will help meet the huge testing needs in Africa,” she said.
According to All Africa, many African countries have struggled to test enough people in order to control the pandemic in their region. In the past month some countries were reportedly only able to carry out an average of 10 tests per 10,000 people each week.
All Africa also reported that a few African countries have not tested in the same capacity as other countries of a similar size. For example, while Senegal has significantly boosted its testing capacity, the country is testing 14 times less than the Netherlands. Nigeria is testing 11 times less than Brazil.
The new WHO-approved rapid tests are not a replacement for the PCR tests, but rather an addition to them. The test will be more effective when used on patients who show symptoms, those who have a high viral load, or a high concentration of the virus in their upper respiratory tract.
Read the full article about rapid testing in Africa by Khanyi Mlaba at Global Citizen.