MedMira Announces Partnership with UK-Based NGO Advance Aid

Working Together to Bring Rapid HIV Diagnostics Closer to Countries Most in Need

21-Apr-2010 - Canada

MedMira Inc. announced that it is collaborating with the UK-based NGO, Advance Aid, to improve the supply chain for rapid diagnostics in regions where the products are most needed, in particular Africa. Advance Aid takes a new and unique approach to supplying needed health and aid resources to Africa by setting up manufacturing supply chains within African countries, enabling job creation and self-sustaining economic growth. The NGO's vision is trade, not just aid, for Africa.

As more governments and aid organizations, initiate large scale HIV awareness and testing campaigns in Africa, a localized supply chain will ensure the increasing demand for quality diagnostics can be met efficiently and cost-effectively. South Africa's new HIV Counselling and Testing campaign has a mandate to test 15 million people by June 2011 and Kenya aims to test over eight million of its citizens in 2010. These are just two of the HIV campaigns currently underway in Africa.

"MedMira's high quality rapid HIV test and excellent diagnostic technology, solid product pipeline, and openness to exploring local manufacturing opportunities makes them an ideal partner for Advance Aid. The speed of MedMira's rapid HIV test will give the massive HIV campaigns now underway an even greater opportunity to meet and exceed their mandates. MedMira's 3 minute test versus a 20 minute test can deliver significant cost and time savings in programs of this scale, ultimately enabling more people to be tested," said David Dickie, Director, Advance Aid. "I believe our partnership will clearly demonstrate the difference that businesses and NGOs can make together, by enabling Kenya to grow its economy organically through the local manufacturing and distribution of aid materials in its own country."

Linked through MedMira's strategic sales and marketing partner, Vitest AG, the three partners will initially focus their efforts in Eastern African countries such as Kenya, an African hub for humanitarian aid and international organizations, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations, Global Fund, World Bank and many others.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/116500/medmira-announces-partnership-with-uk-based-ngo-advance-aid.html