The Federal Ministry of Health with support from Global Fund has deployed 333 Truenat devices to scale up diagnosis for tuberculosis in the country.
Truenat, is a technology developed by Molbio Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., based in India, and it is a portable, battery-operated molecular device designed for point-of-care testing.
Experts said the country-wide rollout of Truenat will enable the National Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Buruli Ulcer Programme (NTBLCP) to test 8,000 more people per day at minimum and two million more people per year, thereby reducing the risk of community transmission while ensuring timely care.
Speaking during the announcement of the roll out in Abuja, Rita Akpakpan, the laboratory lead, NTBLCP, said the country had adapted the innovation in 2021 with an initial deployment of 39 devices.
She said the deployment of the 333 new Truenat devices across health facilities has commenced, adding that Molbio in collaboration with NTBLCP is currently conducting country-wide end users training and installation of the platform to ensure a smooth service delivery.
She said the training exercise will be in phases commencing next week with FCT and Nasarawa.
She said, "The device is an automated, battery-operated device used to extract, amplify, and detect specific genomic DNA loci for TB and Rifampicin resistance. This novel point-of-care diagnostic tool has minimal biosafety issues and does not require air conditioning because it can be used in relatively high room temperatures of ≤ 40°C. The system is compact, rugged, dust tolerant."
Dr Emperor Ubochioma, the Program Management Unit Team lead Global Fund/NTBLCP said the deployment of Truenat devices across Nigeria is a transformative step in the battle against TB and drug resistant TB.
He said the initiative empowers the country's healthcare system with advanced diagnostic tools that reach the hard-to-reach areas. "We are confident that this will significantly improve TB detection rates and treatment outcomes, ultimately reducing the burden of TB in our country," he added.
Sriram Natarajan, Chief Executive Officer of Molbio Diagnostics, said the deployment of the devices in Nigeria marks a significant milestone in the organisation's mission to provide innovative diagnostic solutions to underserved regions.
He said that microscopy has been the method of testing at community and primary health care level of Nigeria, adding however, that the sensitivity of microscopy is only about 40% to 50% with half of people who visit facilities for the test not getting diagnosed.
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He said the organisation was committed to supporting Nigeria in its fight against TB and improving public health outcomes through timely and accurate diagnostics.
Mr Michael Emenoge - Chief Operating Officer, Weierstrass Michael Universal Solutions company Ltd(Molbio Nigeria) said the training of personnel is to ensure optimal performance and maintenance of the equipment.
