Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed inaugrated the commencement of 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 (BGI Health), the first of its kind in Ethiopia was inaugurated at Bole Lemmi Industrial Park.
The launching ceremony was attended by Chinese Ambassador Tan Jian, senior government officials including the Health Minister Dr. Lia Tadesse.
According to the Prime Minister, the factory will also provide commercial laboratory services serving 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.
At the end of the 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.