Covid-19: Noguchi, FDA to Complete Assessment of Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) this Week

The Noguchi Memorial Institute and Food & Drugs Authority (FDA), are expected to complete work on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) kits for Covid-19 this week.

This, according to the Minister for Information, Kojo Oppong-Nkrumah will help enhance the country’s testing capacity and better determine the disease’s incidence rate.

So far over 100,000 tests have been conducted in Ghana with 1,550 positive cases.

Speaking on Accra-based radio station, Citi FM, on Monday (April 27, 2020), Mr Oppong- Nkrumah said the RDTs when ready, will augment current surveillance testing protocols.

“This week we are expecting Noguchi, FDA and the experts to report on an RDT testing option to assist our surveillance. We are of the view that, that will help quicken an answer to the incidence rate in Ghana assuming that is the model or path that we want to add to our intervention.”

READ ALSO:
FDA advises Public to Avoid Covid-19 Self-Testing Kits

"Despite the fact that I am explaining the kind of framework or path we are using this week we are expecting them to report because it has already been discussed with them. They have already done some tests on which RDTs model is best and able to assist us. And we are expecting that when they are done with that they will report ... And then surveillance purposes we are thinking about how to augment what we are doing with that one" he explained.

Currently, the FDA has warned the public that, it has neither registered nor recognised any rapid diagnoses test kit for self-testing in the country.