ZIMBABWE: Rapid HIV test gets sales clearance

A US-based diagnostic kit manufacturer, Calypte Biomedical Corporation, says Zimbabwe has cleared its HIV-1/2 BSP rapid blood test for commercial sale.

The 20-minute test, which can detect HIV antibodies in whole blood, serum, or plasma, was evaluated using over 1000 blood samples before being approved by the Medical Laboratory and Clinical Scientists Council of Zimbabwe.

Calypte President Dr. Richard George, said, "We are delighted that the BSP test has passed yet another regulatory hurdle, and we now look forward to working with National Diagnostics, our distributor in Zimbabwe, to get the product commercially launched."

Zimbabwe has an estimated 1.8 million people living with HIV/AIDS, giving it the third highest prevalence in Africa, according to the UNAIDS 2004 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic.

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