The global scientific community has been working endlessly to create solutions that help in improving the speed at which we can test individuals for the Covid-19 virus as well as researching vaccines and making equipment like ventilators to help those already infected.
Africa hasn’t been left out in providing solutions that can help too. In March, a group of Senegalese scientists announced they were working on very affordable and easy to use Covid-19 testing kit. The team working from Senegal’s Institut Pasteur de Dakar collaborated on the project with U.K biotech firm Mologic to create a test kit that can deliver results in about 10 minutes, can be used at home like a pregnancy test kit and cost just $1.
The country is gearing towards producing between two to four million kits that can be used in other countries as well as domestically.
The testing kit can be used by using a saliva or blood sample of the individual similar to how a pregnancy test kit works. The institute noted that just like a pregnancy test kit a bloodline appears to indicate the presence or absence of the COVID-19 antibody.
Senegalese engineers have also developed 3D printing ventilators for $60 as opposed to the $16,000 ventilators available worldwide.
The institute has been able to achieve this by relying on its arsenal of experience gathered from developing vaccines and treatments for several ailments including yellow fever and dengue.
Rapid detection of the virus is important to stop its spread — we are pleased that the UK government has acknowledged this, supporting Mologic and the work of our partners to prevent further outbreaks internationally.
Mologic Medical Director Joe Fitchett said in the statement.