US based coy introduces non-blood malaria test kit in Lagos

United State of America-based Company, Fy­odor Biotechnologies, has introduced non-blood Urine Malaria Test (UMT) kit into the market in Lagos.

 

It will be recalled that the product was launched in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), late last year.

 

Speaking at the market acti­vation of the product in Lagos, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Fyodor Biotechnol­ogies Corporation, USA, Dr. Eddy Agbo, described the UMT kit as a game changer in the treatment of malaria in Ni­geria.

 

He disclosed that the kit is a simple dipstick test, affordable and over the counter product that uses immunochromato­graphic technology to detect malaria proteins shed in the urine of persons with fever due to malaria within 25 minutes.

 

Revealing that the preva­lence rate of malaria has re­duced to 45 per cent over the past few years, Agbo noted that “as the number of this deadly ailment cases decreases, there is the increasing need to accu­rately differentiate a malaria fe­ver from a non-malaria fever, most especially, in communi­ties or primary healthcare set­tings where a large of the pop­ulation seek care.”

 

While reiterating that not all fevers are due to malaria, he said: “How a person feels is not enough to say that he or she has malaria unless test­ed. “Most fevers are not due to malaria. 

 

This means that we need to test for malaria and not self-medicate because ev­ery medication is poisonous to the health.

 

“You have to test before treating and then go for a fol­low-up treatment with a doc­tor. Not testing means that one is treating wrong ailment.”

 

Explaining how the kit can be used, Agbo said: “Add pa­tient’s urine into a sample cup provided in the kit. Dip and leave UMT strip in the sample for up to 25 minutes, one line indicates no malaria while two lines indicate presence of ma­laria in the body.”