HIV testing in SA is getting a tech upgrade, with an all-in-one rapid HIV test device that will be locally available within the next few weeks.
The AtomoRapid, produced by Australian healthcare company Atomo Diagnostics, was introduced at the sixth SA Aids Conference, in Durban, last week. The device is expected to improve the reliability of HIV testing and is also easier to use than current HIV test kits.
A local study has reportedly found the sensitivity of HIV test kits used outside the laboratory is on average 93.5%. This goes up to 95.1% with additional training and quality control. These figures show that hundreds of thousands of people in Africa are potentially misdiagnosed every year.
The AtomoRapid is much more reliable, as it takes out the variable of human error, says Atomo Diagnostics business development manager, Byron Darroch. "Current HIV test kits contain five or six pieces. This means a nurse has to transfer the blood from the patient to the relevant part of the device, increasing the risk of contamination."
Darroch explains the all-in-one design of the AtomoRapid makes it difficult for the test to be administered incorrectly. All essential test components are always present, compared to manually-assembled multi-part kits that are incomplete in many cases.
In addition, the smaller integrated volume reduces storage requirements, freight costs and environmental impact, Darroch explains.
Local thumbs-up
Ashley Uys, MD of Medical Diagnostech, a local medical technology company that has won awards for its development of a rapid malaria test kit, has also given his stamp of approval to the AtomoRapid.
When looking at the local HIV statistics, reliable HIV testing becomes increasingly important. According to the latest statistics made available by Statistics SA, the total number of persons living with HIV in SA has increased from an estimated four million, in 2002, to 5.26 million, in 2013. In addition, approximately 17% of South African women in their reproductive ages are HIV positive.
Darroch says Atomo Diagnostics is in negotiations to introduce the AtomoRapid to the South African market, and expects it to be on the shelves in the next six to eight weeks. "It is very cost-competitive in comparison to current HIV test kits being used, and we are committed to making it available in SA for under R20."
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