Australia allows its own HIV test equipment that can be purchased online

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), the Australian Drug Licensing Agency, has approved the sale of HIV auto-test testing equipment, which health activists describe as the "last step" in the fight against HIV. the spread of the dangerous virus.

But an HIV victim said that Australia was "10 years behind other developed countries" in terms of efforts to detect HIV.

With the decision of the TGA, it is now possible to carry out an HIV test alone at home, without having to consult a doctor or a health clinic.

With the help of a tool manufactured by the Atomo Diagnostics company based in Sydney, a tool that can only be used once when taking fingertip blood samples can produce results in 15 minutes.

Australian Health Minister Greg Hunt announced this information at a breakfast ceremony commemorating World AIDS Day at Parliament, at the Canberra Hotel, on Thursday 29/11/2018.

"For those who are still reluctant or for other reasons not to consult their doctor to check if they are HIV positive, this tool will bring additional freedom, as well as access and convenience". he told ABC.

The HIV test equipment itself was banned in Australia until 2014 and has since been available for purchase online from foreign companies.

The tools produced by Atomo are also available for purchase online.

To ensure that more people are treated

The Executive Director of the Australian Federation for AIDS Relief, Darryl O. Donnell, said the announcement by the Australian government would make it easier to test HIV for people considered high-risk such as homobadual men and bibaduals.

"For those who need to pbad tests regularly, up to four times a year, we need something easier and more affordable for them," said O Donnell.

"The test equipment that can be used alone is part of that effort."

LGBTI activist Dean Beck, who has been living with HIV for five years, said he was pleased with the announcement but said that Australia was still lagging behind other countries where testing equipment was available for a long time.

Such HIV testing facilities are already available in almost all European countries, as well as in the United States, where the WHO recommends the use of these test kits since 2016.

Beck hopes that later, the test equipment can be bought directly at the pharmacy.

It is estimated that about 10% of HIV-positive Australians do not realize that they have a positive status.

It is felt that the independence of these devices will benefit immigrants and those living in rural and remote areas, as the presence of HIV-related strigmas still makes many of these communities afraid to see a doctor.

The Australian government has also provided an additional $ 5 million (about Rs 50 billion) to develop a new national strategy to combat the spread of HIV and hopes that the disease can be eradicated in Australia in 2022.

See the news in English here