By KETRA KALUNGA
All the testing kits used to scale up Covid-19 testing are accurate and certified safe for use in the country, says the Ministry of Health spokesperson, Dr Abel Kabalo.
Dr Kabalo said in an interview that both the rapid antigen and polymerase chain reaction tests being used were of good quality.
He was reacting to concerns by some pharmaceutical experts that the rapid antigen being used by health authorities was not 100 percent accurate.
Dr Kabalo said the ministry has put in place measures to ensure that anything that comes into the country goes through rigorous testing.
“We are using both rapid and antigen and polymerase chain reactions, there are guidelines that govern the use of both tests, and one thing that we get in this country and use is something whose quality we have vigorously undertaken and adjusted to,” he said.
Dr Kabalo also said the Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority (ZAMRA) as a regulatory body ensures that any reagents that come into the country undergo rigorous local tests before being approved.
