A new method of diagnosing malaria with urine has being invented by University of Lagos, UNILAG following intensive research by its Department
of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology.
Prof. Wellington Oyibo, the Director, Research and Innovation of the institution, made this known on Thursday in Lagos.
Oyibo, a lecturer in the department, said the university’s research on malaria testing without the use of blood was validated in 2016.
He said that by this feat, the institution was fast becoming a clinical trial site for diagnosis in the country.
According to him, the institution has provided a platform and an enabling environment for researchers that have been providing solutions to life’s challenges.
The Professor of Medical Parasitology noted that having worked in the malaria space, he discovered that malaria was a major health challenge in the country.
He added that “one of the major challenges in managing the menace has to do with case management, as there are assumptions that all fevers are malaria.
“This leads to excessive diagnosis and overtreatment.”
He recalled that the policy that malaria test should be done before treatment was approved since 2010, noting however, that “in spite of this policy, people are still not doing tests.
“So, one way by which we can encourage diagnosis is by introducing tests that will not require blood from patients.
“Under the new test formula, medicine retailers will be able to carry out diagnosis before dispensing drugs.
“If we keep selling drugs for a disease that does not exist, it will amount to waste of resources and patients will be suffering.’’
The lecturer said that the research was conducted in collaboration with a group of researchers in Baltimore, U.S., adding that the outcome was to diagnose malaria using urine.
He explained that “the first urine malaria test’’ has been validated.
According to him, the urine malaria test is the first clinical and global trial to be done in the world
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