The Nigerian government on Wednesday approved the spending of N8.5 billion to ramp up COVID-19 testing across the country.
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the money at Wednesday’s meeting for the purchase of 12 assorted items by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Minister of Health Dr Osagie Ehanire, told reporters after FEC meeting that the cash will help the country address community transmission of the pandemic, which has affected 586 Local Government Areas.
“The Ministry of Health presented a memo on behalf of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control to procure materials for preparation for the COVID-19 pandemic, which is ravaging every part of the world including our country.
“This is part of the preparedness for community transmission which is going on now and has affected over 586 Local Government Areas and we need the materials so as to be able to expand our testing and diagnostic capabilities.
“This memo is as a result of the Presidential task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 and the Special Intervention Funds managed by the PTF, which allocated these resources for the NCDC preparedness,” he said.
The Health Minister said the materials to be procured include sample and other kits for diagnostics, for use by laboratories.
“We are procuring these materials to be able to respond properly to community transmission phase,” he added.
On why the PTF was reluctant in introducing rapid test kits which make results available In minutes as against PCR (Polymerise Chain Reaction) tests, Ehanire said: “It is not that nobody is thinking of rapid diagnostic test, it is being used all over the world even in Nigeria today but the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other experts, have said that this test is not very reliable and that it also delivers a significant number of false positive or false negative results.
“So, if you go to a place where a percentage of test result can give you a wrong result, then you have to be careful. Whereas the PRC test, that is the polymerise chain reaction test is accurate and reliable. So if you want to know how accurate a person is positive, that is the test you ought to do, that is the recommendation of World Health Organisation.
“Now, science is never certain, there are many ways and avenues by which the quality of the rapid test is still being improved. And as I speak to you now, the Medical Laboratory Science of Nigeria, which is responsible for validating this test, for telling us whether they are reliable or not, whether we should use it or not, they are verifying such test now and they will give us their result, whether it is reliable enough or not reliable enough.
