Department of Global Health Care and Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
Research
Health Workers' Perspective on the Feasibility and Acceptability of the Introduction of AgRDT for COVID-19 in Kisumu County, Western Kenya
Author(s): M Omollo, TF Rinke de Wit, IA Odero, HC Barsosio, S Kariuki, F Ter Kuile, SO Okello, K Oyoo, A K’Oloo*, K Otieno, van Duijn S, N Houben, E Milimo, R Aroka, A Odhiambo and S N Onsongo
COVID-19 pandemic remains a major global public health challenge also in Low-and Middle-Income Countries (LMIC), due to fragile health systems, limited resources and personnel, low testing and counseling capacity, community perceptions, among others. In Kisumu county of Western Kenya, a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) was rolled-out to increase testing and capacity building by linking private facilities to the ongoing public sector efforts in combating COVID-19. It became increasingly clear that centralized PCR testing for COVID-19 was too labor-intensive, expensive, prone to machine breakdowns and stock-outs of essential reagents, resulting in long turnaround times and sometimes even adaptations of patient selection criteria. A clear need was identified for rapid point-of-care COVID-19 testing (AgRDT). After successful field evaluation, RDT for COVID-19 was offered through th.. View more»