Kenya: HIV testing now made even easier

[Guest guest]

HIV testing now made even easier

Updated 19 hr(s) 30 min(s) ago

By Augustine Oduor

It takes a lot of courage for one to go for HIV testing. Even after resolving to

go for one, many people have lost courage on their way to testing facilities.

Others have given up taking the HIV test because of the long distances to

Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCT) and the prospects of queuing in

public.

Experts and patients have raised concerns over lack of a national guideline on

oral HIV testing. [PICTURE: FILE/STANDARD]

A new oral HIV self-testing technology, which is a move away from the current

invasive approach, puts anxiety and the long wait to rest.

The oral testing technology is likely to lead to reduced infections and number

of persons put under ARV drugs treatment regime.

The Ora-Quick Rapid Antibody Test kit only requires users to make a swap along

the upper and lower gums, with a flat plastic gadget to extract mucosal membrane

that contain antibodies.

The specimen is dipped in a small tube with a reactor fluid. And in less than a

minute, the gadget shows the test results by drawing two purple lines. After

use, the kits can be dumped in the litterbin, as it does not contain bloodstains

that could be harmful.

And to confirm results, many private tests can be done in the comfort of one's

room. Dr Cherutich, head of HIV prevention at National Aids and STI

Control Programme (Nascop), says just like pregnancy testing kits, oral HIV

self-testing kits, like Ora-quick, will soon reduce trips to VCTs and clinics.

" No more walking to a clinic. No more asking for a nurse or a health specialist.

Your HIV status lies in your hands, closer to you than before, " he said, adding

kits will be bought in pharmacies or distributed at health facilities and

carried home for use.

" No needles, no cotton wool or even spirits. No gloves, no disposable containers

and incinerators. It cuts down on these costs, " he told The Standard On Saturday

at Internews Kenya offices in Nairobi.

Safe ways

Several researches and tests on the new technology have recognised it as an

ideal and safe way of testing for the HIV virus.

An evaluation report by Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (Kavi), a research unit

based at the University of Nairobi, shows that the method has shown excellent

performance, comparable to the Determine and SD Bioline test currently in use.

Kavi conducted about 500 tests with Kenyatta National Hospital VCT laboratories.

The May last year field evaluation report seen by The Standard On Saturday

reveals, " This performance coupled with the user- friendliness of this kit,

suggests that its inclusion in the national HIV testing algorithm will have

tremendous impact in scaling up its HIV diagnostic programme. "

This evaluation was not far from findings of the Academic Model Providing Access

to Healthcare (Ampath) in partnership with the Moi Teaching and Referral

Hospital.

" The assessment carried out by health care workers in various health facilities

and capacities conclusively indicated that the Ora-quick device was friendly,

convenient, and 80 per cent of the result corresponded with other rapid testing

tools, " read the Ampath feedback assessment experience on about 2,500 tests.

Following the two reports, the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation issued a

letter in March, authorising use of the oral test kit.

Oral kit

" The evaluation results show that oral kit is to acceptable quality and meets

the requirements for sensitivity and specificity for HIV test use, " read a

letter by Jane Wasike, the director, National Public Health Laboratory Services.

However, lack of a guideline for oral HIV testing is the only obstacle that

stands between the product and consumers.

The Ora-quick Product Manager Jillani Yawa said the product couldn't be released

into the market without official policy guidelines.

" What we are waiting to know is once we use this oral material, what is next.

What is the final test? " said Yawa. Currently, there is only a national

guideline for HIV test on blood. Yawa said plans are complete to launch the

product. " It is 99 per cent accurate and reliable. Once we get the nod we will

establish how much it would be affordably sold to Kenyans, " he said.

Kavi says the Ora-Quick test on oral fluid specimens had both sensitivity and

specificity of 100 per cent. This means the oral fluid test had 100 per cent

positive and negative predictive values.

However questions have also been raised over consequences of lack of pre-test

and post-test counselling. Yawa says counselling instructions will be written on

the kit package in English and Kiswahili, complete with a help hotline.

Liverpool VCT already runs the one-to-one youth hotline, which will be printed

on the test kit.

If adopted Cherutich says Kenya would be the third country in Africa after Ghana

and Botswana to formally use the oral test kit.

In the US, oral HIV test is the main technology. Experts say the failure to

undertake HIV tests leads to faster spread of the virus.

Kenya conducts about 1.5 million HIV tests at the antenatal clinics and about

one million tests at VCTs. Cherutich says this will rise to about five million

tests per year with the new technology.

" HIV prevalence rate in Kenya now stands at 6.3 per cent. If many people would

know their status, levels of infections would reduce, " he said.

He said HIV infection responds best to medical treatments if they are begun soon

after infection

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000040728 & cid=4 &

[Guest guest]

HIV testing now made even easier

Updated 19 hr(s) 30 min(s) ago

By Augustine Oduor

It takes a lot of courage for one to go for HIV testing. Even after resolving to

go for one, many people have lost courage on their way to testing facilities.

Others have given up taking the HIV test because of the long distances to

Voluntary Counselling and Testing Centres (VCT) and the prospects of queuing in

public.

Experts and patients have raised concerns over lack of a national guideline on

oral HIV testing. [PICTURE: FILE/STANDARD]

A new oral HIV self-testing technology, which is a move away from the current

invasive approach, puts anxiety and the long wait to rest.

The oral testing technology is likely to lead to reduced infections and number

of persons put under ARV drugs treatment regime.

The Ora-Quick Rapid Antibody Test kit only requires users to make a swap along

the upper and lower gums, with a flat plastic gadget to extract mucosal membrane

that contain antibodies.

The specimen is dipped in a small tube with a reactor fluid. And in less than a

minute, the gadget shows the test results by drawing two purple lines. After

use, the kits can be dumped in the litterbin, as it does not contain bloodstains

that could be harmful.

And to confirm results, many private tests can be done in the comfort of one's

room. Dr Cherutich, head of HIV prevention at National Aids and STI

Control Programme (Nascop), says just like pregnancy testing kits, oral HIV

self-testing kits, like Ora-quick, will soon reduce trips to VCTs and clinics.

" No more walking to a clinic. No more asking for a nurse or a health specialist.

Your HIV status lies in your hands, closer to you than before, " he said, adding

kits will be bought in pharmacies or distributed at health facilities and

carried home for use.

" No needles, no cotton wool or even spirits. No gloves, no disposable containers

and incinerators. It cuts down on these costs, " he told The Standard On Saturday

at Internews Kenya offices in Nairobi.

Safe ways

Several researches and tests on the new technology have recognised it as an

ideal and safe way of testing for the HIV virus.

An evaluation report by Kenya Aids Vaccine Initiative (Kavi), a research unit

based at the University of Nairobi, shows that the method has shown excellent

performance, comparable to the Determine and SD Bioline test currently in use.

Kavi conducted about 500 tests with Kenyatta National Hospital VCT laboratories.

The May last year field evaluation report seen by The Standard On Saturday

reveals, " This performance coupled with the user- friendliness of this kit,

suggests that its inclusion in the national HIV testing algorithm will have

tremendous impact in scaling up its HIV diagnostic programme. "

This evaluation was not far from findings of the Academic Model Providing Access

to Healthcare (Ampath) in partnership with the Moi Teaching and Referral

Hospital.

" The assessment carried out by health care workers in various health facilities

and capacities conclusively indicated that the Ora-quick device was friendly,

convenient, and 80 per cent of the result corresponded with other rapid testing

tools, " read the Ampath feedback assessment experience on about 2,500 tests.

Following the two reports, the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation issued a

letter in March, authorising use of the oral test kit.

Oral kit

" The evaluation results show that oral kit is to acceptable quality and meets

the requirements for sensitivity and specificity for HIV test use, " read a

letter by Jane Wasike, the director, National Public Health Laboratory Services.

However, lack of a guideline for oral HIV testing is the only obstacle that

stands between the product and consumers.

The Ora-quick Product Manager Jillani Yawa said the product couldn't be released

into the market without official policy guidelines.

" What we are waiting to know is once we use this oral material, what is next.

What is the final test? " said Yawa. Currently, there is only a national

guideline for HIV test on blood. Yawa said plans are complete to launch the

product. " It is 99 per cent accurate and reliable. Once we get the nod we will

establish how much it would be affordably sold to Kenyans, " he said.

Kavi says the Ora-Quick test on oral fluid specimens had both sensitivity and

specificity of 100 per cent. This means the oral fluid test had 100 per cent

positive and negative predictive values.

However questions have also been raised over consequences of lack of pre-test

and post-test counselling. Yawa says counselling instructions will be written on

the kit package in English and Kiswahili, complete with a help hotline.

Liverpool VCT already runs the one-to-one youth hotline, which will be printed

on the test kit.

If adopted Cherutich says Kenya would be the third country in Africa after Ghana

and Botswana to formally use the oral test kit.

In the US, oral HIV test is the main technology. Experts say the failure to

undertake HIV tests leads to faster spread of the virus.

Kenya conducts about 1.5 million HIV tests at the antenatal clinics and about

one million tests at VCTs. Cherutich says this will rise to about five million

tests per year with the new technology.

" HIV prevalence rate in Kenya now stands at 6.3 per cent. If many people would

know their status, levels of infections would reduce, " he said.

He said HIV infection responds best to medical treatments if they are begun soon

after infection

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000040728 & cid=4 &