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Blood transfusion kits detect HIV

    JOHANNESBURG

    A cheap new blood testing kit launched recently in Nigeria is fast becoming a valuable tool in tackling the spread of HIV/AIDS throughout sub-Saharan Africa.

    The US-based Safe Blood for Africa Foundation has been distributing millions of "rapid" low-cost, blood-transfusion test kits to African hospitals to detect HIV-positive donated blood.

    This development marks a major breakthrough, as most donated blood goes to children suffering from anaemia and malaria in areas ill-equipped to deal with escalating HIV cases, United Press International reported.

    "Almost 2 million transfusions occur to children and, of those 2 million transfusions, at least 200,000 children are getting HIV through the blood supply," project chairman, said. "If we could secure the blood supply now, wherever AIDS would go in Africa, China, India, it would be substantially less."

    This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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