NASSAU, BAHAMAS — The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is conducting pilot studies in four countries to help make the most of these new rapid antigen tests it believes could transform COVID-19 response in the region.
According to a statement, PAHO said millions of these tests will be made available at an accessible price via its Strategic Supply Fund.
PAHO Director Carissa F Etienne said the new affordable, reliable antigen diagnostic tests can be performed anywhere and are much more accurate in determining if someone is currently infected.
She urged countries to “bring these new tests to the hospitals and health clinics on the frontlines of our fight against the virus. But it’s important to remember that no single innovation is a panacea”.
“By providing results quickly, the new test empowers frontline health workers to better manage cases by isolating patients to prevent further spread and to begin treatment immediately,” Etienne said in a press briefing today.
“If distributed widely, this new test will transform our COVID response.”
Etienne said the diagnostic tests will be particularly useful in hard to reach areas without easy access to a laboratory, which has been disproportionally impacted by the pandemic.
PAHO’s Strategic Supply Fund is a regional technical cooperation mechanism for pooled procurement of essential medicines and supplies and is a central component of PAHO’s strategy to move towards Universal Health. The pilot study is currently being conducted by PAHO in Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, and Suriname, with “millions more expected in the coming weeks”.
“With support from WHO, we will be providing these diagnostic tests free of cost as we keep a close eye on how they’re used. The data collected via this study will help countries within and outside of our region make the most of these new diagnostics,” Etienne said.
Providing a COVID-19 update in the Americas, Etienne said the state of the pandemic in the Americas remains complex with more than 18 million COVID-19 cases and more than 590,000 deaths have been reported.
“Since the pandemic began more than nine months ago, we have known that to beat this virus, we must transform our public health response,” she continued.
“We need public health measures to prevent community transmission; fast, accurate and affordable diagnostic tests to determine when someone has been infected with COVID 19; new medicines to help COVID patients get better and, ultimately, a safe and effective vaccine.”
She explained that PCR diagnostic tests are highly accurate and remain the gold standard for testing, but must be conducted in lab settings with delays in getting results exacerbating the risk of further spread.
“The new tests will enable primary healthcare workers, whether they’re working in the middle of the Amazon, or in an urban center, to diagnose and care for patients immediately, stopping further infections in their tracks. And that is the gamechanger,” she said.
“It remains critical to stay the course in every aspect of our COVID response. We must continue to adhere to public health measures to prevent the spread of the virus. We must continue to test and isolate cases and trace their contacts to prevent new infections. And we must continue to let data underpin our actions to prevent any new cases from spreading out of control.”
Etienne added: “To capitalize on the power of this new diagnostic, countries must make them available and accessible to everyone – regardless of who they are or where they live – to bring us closer to our promise for health for all.”
Doctors Hospital has announced the introduction of COVID-19 rapid antigen testing on October 19.
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