[LAGOS, SciDev.Net] Codix Bio, Nigeria’s WHO-licensed diagnostics factory, is set to produce 147million rapid diagnostic test kits for HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, filling a gap left by US aid cuts. Yet for decades, the continent has relied entirely on imported test kits, leaving health systems at the mercy of global supply chains, economic downturns, and donor whims. “Made in Africa rapid diagnostic test kits can be trusted — and they are available and affordable,” she said. Before the recent aid cuts, USAID distributed 11.8 million rapid diagnostic test kits for malaria across Nigeria in 2023 and invested more than US$6 billion in the country’s HIV/AIDS response. For regional manufacturing to succeed, Ogangwu says that governments must commit to procuring test kits at scale.