‘Under $1’ test kits available to stop mother-child HIV/syphilis transmission  

The debased outgo is possible thanks to a new concern betwixt the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), MedAccess and SD Biosensor. 

Each year, around 1.3 million women surviving with HIV go large and conscionable under one million large women are infected with syphilis.   

Despite affordable diagnostics and treatment being available, undiagnosed and untreated infections proceed to impact the lives of galore mothers and their children. 

Up to today, the agency has prequalified 3 antithetic dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests, by UN Women/Nguyen Minh Duc

An breathtaking development 

According to WHO, the rapid diagnostic tests are elemental to usage and can integrate and streamline services. They tin also enable much countries to eliminate mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of HIV and syphilis. 

For Meg Doherty, Director of WHO Global HIV, Hepatitis and STI [Sexually transmitted disease] Programmes, the caller pricing is an exciting development. 

“It volition assistance much countries follow dual HIV/syphilis investigating and accelerate advancement toward EMTCT for some HIV and syphilis and present services for cardinal populations, wherever some infections are common”, she said.  

Recommendations  

Since 2019, WHO has recommended using these tests. not lone arsenic the first line in antenatal attraction to assistance countries eliminate mother-to-child transmission, but also as a mode to cut costs. 

Up to today, the agency has prequalified 3 antithetic dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests. 

Many countries person adopted these recommendations and are introducing the tests, particularly in the African Region. 

WHO estimates that last year, major donors and Governments had procured much than five million of these tests – and that the number should continue to rise. 

Nigeria, for example, started a aviator programme successful 2019 and is present moving toward implementation astatine the nationalist scale. As the country plans to distribute four million successful the coming year. 

And yet, contempt immoderate important gains, planetary adoption of dual HIV/syphilis rapid tests in antenatal care is inactive acold from ideal, with only 23 per cent of all countries reporting a nationalist policy.