PM Inaugurates COVID-19 PCR Diagnostic Testing Kits Production

Addis Ababa, September 13, 2020 (FBC) – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has inaugurated the commencement of BGI Health Ethiopia’s commercial production of COVID-19 PCR diagnostic testing kits for both the export market with a priority to African countries and Ethiopia’s domestic demand.

The COVID 19 diagnostic kits factory, the first in its kind in Ethiopia, has been inaugurated at Bole Lemmi Industrial Park.

The launching ceremony has been attended Chinese Ambassador to Ethiopia Tan Jian, senior government officials including the Health Minister Dr. Lia Tadesse, among others.

According to the Prime Minister, the factory will also provide commercial laboratory services for a total of 3 million transit passengers at Bole International Airport and in Addis Ababa city.

The commencement of the production will boost the testing capacity of Ethiopia and other African countries, the Premier noted.

After the end of COVID-19 pandemic, the manufacture centre will switch to the production of other types of nucleic acid detection reagents, such as AIDS testing kits, tuberculosis nucleic acid test kits and other locally needed RT PCR test kit products, the Prime Minister added.