COVID inequity: In Africa, at-home tests are scarce, costly

By MARIA CHENG and FARAI MUTSAKA
Associated Press

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Unlike rich countries, African nations have very limited access to COVID-19 tests, especially at-home tests. In the absence of vaccines, that discrepancy has denied millions of poor people an easy way to stem the spread of the coronavirus, health officials say. The World Health Organization has not yet issued advice for how people in all countries might use self-tests. That’s significant because donors and international aid groups await WHO approval before widely distributing tests or other medical interventions. The WHO says it expects to issue guidance in March. Several experts say the tests might not be widely available in the developing world until next year.