Executive Director of Kandifo Institute, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah
The Executive Director of Kandifo Institute, Palgrave Boakye-Danquah, has underscored the need for the government to invest in biomedical scientists and upcoming organisations focused on manufacturing test kits to acquire more of the necessary machinery required to run laboratories in the country.
He believes the move will not only help in implementing the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), by addressing the health needs of the people, but will also come in handy in this period where the world is battling the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his view, health regulators must be supportive of the great ideas of companies that are seeking to invent the best test kits for health-related issues. He also stressed the need for more youth to be interested in science in order to help develop tools and equipment that help to make life easier.
Mr Boakye-Danquah made the call known when he led a delegation from his Institute on a working visit to Incas Diagnostic Center, a medical diagnostic development and manufacturing company based in Kumasi.
The visit
Officials from Kandifo Institute witnessed at firsthand the production of locally manufactured test kits.
Mr Boakye-Danquah commended management of the company for their diligence, and expressed the hope that the organisation would thrive and transform into a top-notch test kit manufacturer across the globe in some few years to come.
He entreated non-governmental organisations to collaborate with manufacturing companies to bring out the best products for human consumption.
“The government, NGOs and manufacturing companies must collaborate to organise training programmess for the youth on health areas,” he added.
Incas Diagnostics
Incas Diagnostics is a social enterprise which seeks to save lives through the design and production of low-cost, easy-to-use, point-of-care diagnostic test kits. Its goal is to develop simple tests that count to save lives.
It began its operations in 2012, and within nine years of operation, the company has produced six FDA approved test kits, including Vagkit for vaginal infections, HCG Ultra- a pregnancy test kit, HBsAg Test strip, which for Hepatitis B, and a test kit for Typhoid.
Incas Diagnostics has been able to invent a Covid-19 antibody test, which would easily be tested and produce the best result possible all in the aim of dealing with the restrictions the pandemic has introduced to societies.
Currently, the company is working with developers in Nigeria, Cameroon, South Africa and Senegal, with backing from the World Health Organization (WHO), on a mobile app that would help trace people potentially at high-risk of getting the virus.
An interesting bit of the organisation is the fact that it also offers contract manufacturing services to other companies that may be interested in creating customised test kits.
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