The Pan American Health Organization will make rapid antigen tests available to its member countries for the detection of Covid-19, a disease that affects more than 18 million people in the region, Prensa Latina reports.
In a report published on its website, the health entity explains that the tests will reach nations through the Strategic Fund, a regional technical cooperation mechanism for the joint procurement of essential medicines and supplies, and is a central component of the strategy of PAHO to advance towards universal health.
Recently approved by the World Health Organization (WHO), the new, affordable and reliable antigen diagnostic tests can be performed anywhere and are aimed at transforming the region’s response to Covid-19 by enabling workers quick and accurate testing, even in remote communities.
Considered more accurate, they determine whether someone is currently infected – a big difference from previous rapid antibody tests, which can show when someone has had the disease, but often test negative during the early stages of infection.
By providing results quickly, it enables front-line healthcare workers to better manage cases, because they can isolate patients to prevent further spread and begin treatment immediately.
They will be particularly useful in remote communities without easy access to a laboratory, disproportionately affected by the pandemic.