WHO TO ROLL OUT THE COVID-19 TEST THAT PROMISES TO GET RESULTS WITHIN MINUTES
                     WHO TO ROLL OUT THE COVID-19 TEST THAT 
PROMISES TO GET RESULTS WITHIN MINUTES
INTRODUCTION
• The World Health Organization (WHO) announced that, together with partners, it 
plans to roll out as many as 120 million rapid-diagnostic tests for COVID-19 in order to 
help lower and middle-income countries in making up the testing gap with richer 
countries.
Source: www.moneycontrol.com/
ALL ABOUT WHO
• The World Health Organization is a specialized 
agency of the United Nations responsible for 
international public health. 
• The WHO Constitution, which establishes the 
agency's governing structure and principles, 
states its main objective as the attainment by 
all peoples of the highest possible level of 
health.
Source: www.moneycontrol.com/
ROLLOUT
• The rollout would be in 20 countries in Africa, and would rely on support of groups 
including the Clinton Health Access Initiative.
Source: www.connectedtoindia.com/
RAPID TESTS
• These rapid tests are generally considered less accurate than the higher-grade genetic 
tests called PCR tests. 
• The rapid tests however are much faster to give results as they look for antigens, or 
proteins found on the surface of the virus. 
Source: www.connectedtoindia.com/
ANTIGEN-BASED RAPID DIAGNOSTIC TEST
• The new test that WHO plans will cost USD 5 per piece and is an antigen-based rapid 
diagnostic test. 
• The program is not fully funded yet, with an initial requirement of about USD 600 
million by next month. 
Source: www.connectedtoindia.com/
RELIABLE RESULTS
• These tests provide reliable results in approximately 15 to 30 minutes, rather than 
hours or days, at a lower price with less sophisticated equipment.
Source: www.connectedtoindia.com/
ENABLE EXPANSION OF TESTING
• This will enable the expansion of testing, particularly in hard-to-reach areas that do 
not have lab facilities or enough trained health workers to carry out PCR tests.
Source: www.connectedtoindia.com/
GLOBAL FUND
• Peter Sands, the executive director of the Global Fund, a partnership that works to 
end epidemics, said it would make an initial $50 million available from its COVID-19 
response mechanism. 
• He said the deployment of the quality antigen rapid diagnostic tests will be a 
“significant step” to help contain and combat the coronavirus.
Source: www.connectedtoindia.com/
PROBLEMS IN ACCURATE TESTS
• Many rich countries have also faced problems rolling out accurate tests, and testing 
itself is no panacea countries like France and the United States have all faced backlogs 
and hiccups at times, and rapid tests in Britain and Spain turned out to be inaccurate.
Source: Aljazeera
STATISTICS
• High-income countries are currently carrying out 292 tests per day per 100,000 
people, while the lowest-income countries were conducting 14 per 100,000 people.
• 120 million tests would represent a “massive increase” in testing, but were still a 
fraction of what is needed in those countries.
Source: The New York Times
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