There is new data that suggests some people’s negative HIV/AIDS test results were not accurate. This unexpected disclosure is the result of a High Court action that exposed the Ministry of Health’s HIV testing kit approval procedure....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
The court proceedings state that there is a possibility that three out of every 100 Kenyans who underwent testing were mistakenly told they are HIV-negative since the ministry recommended specific kits as the most effective. They might actually be infected with the virus.
In 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised countries to switch from a two-test algorithm to a three-test algorithm for HIV testing to enhance accuracy. Kenya had been using a two-test strategy for 15 years, but it frequently led to conflicting results. This discrepancy prompted concerns about its reliability.
Currently, there’s a separate court case underway involving two women and the government concerning the two-test strategy. Despite testing negative, they received positive results from the kits, sparking a legal dispute.
In addition to recommending the transition to a three-test algorithm for HIV testing, the World Health Organization (WHO) also advocated for the use of dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnosis tests for pregnant women attending ante-natal care, a strategy adopted by Kenya in 2018.
Furthermore, WHO advised that for a positive HIV diagnosis, the three consecutive tests should maintain a 99 percent predictive value. This means that out of every 100 individuals tested, 99 will receive accurate results.
Last year, a task force was established to review and categorize the kits intended for use in Kenya. To justify the need for a change in approach, the task force conducted tests using both the two-test approach and the new three-test method for comparison purposes.
The task group advised that Kenya stick with the Standard Q test for dual HIV/syphilis testing on pregnant women because of its better clinical sensitivity for syphilis, wider temperature range for storage, and cheaper cost. It also suggested that the nation abandon the previous testing scheme.
Omwando alleged that the ministry attempted to redesign the testing algorithm under the guise of adopting WHO recommendations but did not properly adhere to the requisite procedures.
He stated that other countries have transitioned to fourth-generation exams, whereas Kenya intends to use ‘ancient’ equipment..<<CONTINUE READING>>
