The Federal Government has introduced the use of test kits to stop mother-child HIV/syphilis transmission as the country plans to distribute four million test kits in 2022.
The World Health Organisation, WHO said the dual test kits, which cost about one dollar, are now available for pregnant women to stem mother-to-child HIV and syphilis transmission.
The low cost is possible, thanks to a new partnership between the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), MedAccess and SD Biosensor.
WHO has prequalified three different dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests and many countries have adopted these recommendations and are introducing the tests, particularly in the African Region.
According to the UN health agency, “WHO estimates that in 2020, major donors and governments had procured more than five million of these tests and that the number should continue to rise.
It added that the Nigeria started a pilot programme in 2019 and is now moving toward implementation at the national scale, as the country plans to distribute four million in 2022.
