The Algerian government has announced that rapid test kits are being produced, said Junior Minister in charge of Pharmaceutical Production Lofti Benbahmed on state television.
A laboratory in the capital Algiers produces the kits which return results in fifteen minutes. The outfit has a production capacity of 200,000 units per week, said the government.
The production company is working in partnership with two foreign firms – one Jordanian and the other Canadian.
Algeria is one of the most impacted African nations by the coronavirus. As of May 13, the country had 6,067 cases, with 515 deaths and 2,998 recoveries.
Algeria has allocated $100 million to import medical equipment and pharmaceutical products to counter the virus. The country has also benefited from donations from China.
According to experts, most African countries are lagging behind in the area of testing for the virus. The biggest tester in Africa is South Africa with 300,000 tests which have returned over 11,000 confirmed cases.
