Makerere University College of Health Sciences (CHS) has unveiled the very first Ugandan-made Ebola diagnostic testing device, which will be used to test the disease among Ugandans in case of any future outbreak.
Ebola, which is currently affecting the neighboring country, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), attacked Uganda last year, but government and the Ministry of Health managed to combat it in three months.
Addressing journalists yesterday at Uganda Media Centre about the forthcoming World Health Summit, the Principal of Makerere College of Natural Sciences, Prof Charles Ibingira, said with the innovated Ebola testing kit, one will just use blood and the diagnostic kit will be able to know if he or she has the disease in a matter of minutes.
“Initially, government has been taking samples of Ebola to Uganda Virus Research Institute, which could also sometimes take them outside the country for testing. This could take a couple of weeks before results come out. But with the new kit, one will be able to know if he or she is positive instantly and we hope that this will save lives and reduce on the spread of the disease,” Prof Ibingira said.
It is confirmed that the kit can work effectively , however, there was submission of the financial implication to mass production of many kits to government, which will cost the university about 367 billion UGX for mass production of the kit.
