The AfriDx Initiative has officially begun and we're excited to see what we can achieve.
The Project
The AfriDx project is a 15-month project, expected to finish in December of 2021. While the start of AfriDx was somewhat delayed, all partners are quickly moving forward with their work.
This project is especially important in low- and middle-income countries where the cost of buying and importing COVID-19 tests is high and unreliable as the logistics become delayed during the pandemic. While we are focusing our efforts on Ghana, many countries are in a similar situation. The current PCR tests for COVID-19 are slow and the costs can reach more than $10 per test, which is unsustainable in countries where the average annual expenditure on health is less than $40 per capita. AfriDx will focus on developing a diagnostic system that can be manufactured in country. Additionally, a production process for the required biological materials will be developed to allow for production in Ghana at low cost. Lastly, these systems will allow for the training of skilled and minimally skilled personnel to understand and perform the testing.
The Impact
This project will give sub-Saharan Africa the technology, tools and training which will strengthen its capacities to manage outbreaks, both directly and through improved in country manufacturing capability for healthcare diagnostics. Socioeconomic long-term independence from external grant-aid to supply diagnostics and development of a local manufacturing infrastructure will emerge.