Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2008. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
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New Vision (Kampala) - November 30, 2008
Steven Candia
The firm based in Lugogo, a city suburb also manufactures rapid diagnostic kits for pregnancy tests and Hepatitis B.
With the test kits one can get to know one's status within 10 to 15 minutes, allowing for precise treatment, thereby cutting costs.
For a long time, firms in the country have been importing test kits at high costs.
Though these kits are meant to be used by medical practitioners, they, especially the pregnancy kit, can be used at home.
"With the kits, treatment is on the basis of evidence other than by speculation which is like one shooting blindly," said Dr. Vinand Nantulya, the firm's chief executive officer.
The $750,000 firm, which has two laboratories imports the cassettes, reagents and the membrane.
"We are not yet marketing.
Different laboratories, pharmacies and hospitals are trying out our products. We want them to give us feedback," said Nantulya.
The company which started in 2006 is expected to produce about 20,000 units a day.
The local manufacture of the kits, Nantulya, said will also help reduce on cases of drug resistance, a condition partly blamed on random treatment of patients without diagnosis.
Nantulya, a Ugandan, holds a PhD in Immuno-biology. He has lectured at Harvard University and also worked at the Geneva -based Global Fund.
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