Rapid testing: A new rapid HIV-testing kit has been launched in Kenya. The Rapid HIV Infection Diagnosis System test provides results in 30 seconds. HIV tests that are now used in Kenya take several days to produce results.
”The test is accurate and has met requirements set by the World Health Organisation,” said Ernest Mureithi, executive director of IntegriHealth, which introduced the kit.
”The test is ideal for use in rural areas because it can be exposed to various temperature conditions.”
The test kits will be sold to hospitals and other health institutions.
Monopoly breaker: Thailand’s state drugs agency said this week it would seek court permission to make an Aids drug, Didanosine, patented by Bristol-Myers Squibb. The company was stripped of its exclusive rights to sell the drug last week.
The Government Pharmaceutical Organisation said it would seek temporary court immunity to produce the drug for patients who could not afford current market prices for the drug.
Last week, Thailand’s Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court ruled that Bristol-Myers should not have the exclusive rights to sell the tablets in Thailand. Bristol-Myers has a month to appeal the ruling.
More than 70000 people in Thailand are infected with HIV.
Source: Reuters, Kenyan Nation-AllAfrica.com