The University of Lagos (UNILAG) has validated a new method of diagnosing malaria using urine.
The Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology of the university in collaboration with a group of researchers from Baltimore, United States carried out the research.
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News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Director of Research and Innovation of the institution, Wellington Oyibo, last Thursday, said the urine malaria test was the first clinical and global trial to be done in the world.
Oyibo said the test had been registered by both the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration Control (NAFDAC) and the US Food and Drug Administration.
He noted that with the development one could carry out malaria test without taking blood, adding that the feat was remarkable and groundbreaking.
He appealed to the federal government to create easy access for people to test for malaria through the new approach.
“This achievement shows that UNILAG is becoming a clinical trial site for diagnosis. In the past, trial tests were conducted in India and Bangladesh or somewhere in Asia for Nigerians. But now, we are conducting tests for Nigerian patients and we are providing data and that is quite remarkable,” he said.
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