According to a note from the Ministry of Health, to which VerAngola had access, since January the INLS has been implementing "in its rapid testing algorithm a third test, called 'SD-Bioline', which allows to obtain more accurate results of cases of HIV".
According to José Carlos Van-Dúnem, deputy general director of the institute – in statements to Jornal de Angola, cited by the note from the Ministry of Health –, in a first phase, the said test is already in use in Luanda, Benguela, Namibe, Bié, Huíla, Uíge, Cuanza Sul, Huambo, Cuando Cubango, Cunene, Malanje and Lunda Sul, also making it known that by the end of the year this new test will reach the provinces of Bengo, Zaire, Cabinda, Cuanza Norte, Lunda Norte and Moxico.
To this end, at the moment, adds the note, the institute is carrying out training for trainers, in the sense that they will later spread the "training actions to all municipalities" in the provinces.
Speaking to Jornal de Angola, the official clarified that "with this training, all technicians will be able to correctly execute the new technique", adding that the technicians were "formatted to use an algorithm of only two tests, hence the need to continue to be trained to work with mastery in the increased method".
José Carlos Van-Dúnem also said that the response from the provinces where this new testing method is already applied is positive, noting that "statistics indicate that the technicians are working with due correction" and explaining that the application of this new test takes place in compliance with a recommendation of the World Health Organization.
Regarding numbers, the official explained that the number of tests carried out does not correspond to the number of people tested, as sometimes there are citizens who decide to repeat the test in another unit in the hope that the result will be different. There are rare cases in which the positive result is received naturally, he reinforced, quoted by Jornal de Angola.
Thus, advances Jornal de Angola, in order to make the numbers more reliable, the ministry is working on the design of an integrated software to notify cases, which will allow the system to remove duplicates and carry out the monitoring of people registered as HIV positive, allowing a better characterization of this disease in Angola.
In turn, Bárbara Pocongo, head of the Molecular Biology laboratory at the national institute, also cited by Jornal de Angola, said that the efficiency and sensitivity of rapid tests is comparable to serological tests and others that are carried out in the laboratory.
She also said that "rapid tests are used because, in terms of public health, work must be done in order for the correct diagnosis to reach the population", adding that rapid tests are easier and can also be carried out anywhere, writes Jornal de Angola.
