Expert Raises Alarm Over Illegal Recycling Of HIV Test Kits

An expert in the health sector, Mrs. Adunni Udu on Wednesday raised
alarm over increasing proliferation of recycled determine HIV ½ test
kits in the country.
Udu said most of the HIV test kits found in the open markets is either
recycled or stolen from government warehouses or United States
President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEFAR) implementing
partner’s services sites.
She called, asking regulatory agencies in the country to swiftly
address the menace to prevent further health hazards.
Udu said the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and
Control (NAFDAC), Federal Ministry of Health, National Agency for
Control of Aids (NACA), State Agency for Control of Aids including the
World Bank were informed about the odd development in order to check
the situation.
Determine HIV ½ test kits are small medical strips that easily enable
HIV Aids victim determine their status before further medical
intervention.
She added that Accouns Nigeria Limited is the licensed organization in
Nigeria solely permitted to distribute Alere Determine HIV ½ test
kits, thus purchase from other sources could be fake and dangerous.
Udu said the late Minister of Information, Dora Akinyuli attempted to
check the illegal recycling until her demise.
However, she said the organization was able to distribute 4, 697, 000
test trips to the NACA in 2014.
She urged the public to avoid purchase from unauthorized companies,
stressing that it could be detrimental to their health.
She described implication of using a recycled HIV test trip as
dangerous and could cause unnecessary panic.
“Even the thought of being HIV Aids victim can cause a total
breakdown. It could cause issues at work, job loss and cost someone to
lose his or her marriage. The storage facility these things are kept
is also questionable and could cause further harm.”
According to her, HIV negative person might be declared positive by
the fake test trip.