Scaling up testing for COVID-19 in Africa: Responding to the pandemic in ways that strengthen health systems

In the midst of responding to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, public health practitioners, agencies and the private sector are partnering to provide urgent emergency solutions to the ongoing crisis. In the words of World Health Organization Director General, Dr Tedros Ghebreyesus, a critical component of this response is to ‘test, test and test’. This need for testing continues to spur multiple innovations in testing techniques, strategies and applications. As of 08 April 2020, more than 48 different in vitro diagnostic devices for COVID-19 diagnosis were listed on the World Health Organization website under the International Medical Devices Regulatory Forum jurisdiction as having received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from nine countries, with China authorising 19 devices or technologies (including antibody test kits).1 Although no country in Africa has issued an EUA on any of these devices, it is very likely that most of these devices may be marketed or distributed on the continent. ...