Materia Medica Malaysiana

Malaysian researchers launch new AIDS test kit

KUALA LUMPUR : Malaysian researchers say they have developed the world's fastest home test kit for the HIV virus.
The seventh generation HV-7 kit is expected to be available in local hospitals by early 2005, and could be sold in pharmacies in the future, said the TH Koid Foundation, which developed the kit.
"This self-contained, single use test kit is clinically proven to be reliable, accurate, user-friendly, and delivers a 99.8 percent accurate result within three to five minutes," Yvonne Oh, spokeswoman for TH Koid Foundation told AFP.
"All you have to do is tear open the pre-sterilised handi-pack, clean your finger with the alcohol swab, prick your finger using the lancet, and place a drop of blood into the sample well," she said.
Within minutes, the HV-7 should be able to screen for the presence of HIV antibodies 1 and 2 in the user's blood, she said.
Much like a home pregnancy kit, a two-line result would indicate you were HIV-positive, while a single line would prove negative for HIV.
The kit has been tested by Malaysia's Institute for Medical Research, Singapore's Tan Tock Seng Hospital and four local hospitals, she said.