Urine has long been used to test for pregnancy as well as drug use, and thanks to Nigerian firm Fyodor Biotechnologies, it can now also be used to detect malaria.

The US-affiliated firm has released a urine malaria test (UMT) kit into the local market, offering easier and cheaper diagnosis in hospitals, clinics or even at home. It eliminates the need for blood analysis, relying instead on a simple dipstick test that uses immunochromatographic technology to identify the malaria protein in 25 minutes or less.

According to the WHO, 89% of the world’s malaria cases were in sub-Saharan Africa in 2015, where 91% of malaria fatalities globally also occurred. Early diagnosis plays an important part of tackling the disease. The UMT also supports the premise of ‘test before you treat’ and, as Fyodor CEO Eddy Agbo explains (according to a Celebrating Africa Progress report), it is important to identify when a fever is malaria-induced.

03 November 2015
Image: iStockPhoto