Canada approved individual HIV tests
This is a welcome step that will open up new possibilities for combating this disease
Federal regulators have approved Canada's first self-administered HIV test. The decision was a long-awaited breakthrough that experts called critical for people who do not suspect they are infected.
On Monday, Health Canada licensed a new medical device, a one-minute finger blood test manufactured by bioLytical Laboratories in Richmond, British Columbia, called the INSTI HIV Self Test.
Canada, following dozens of other countries, is giving the green light to this technology, which has been endorsed by the World Health Organization as a tool to reduce the number of people with undiagnosed HIV.
The chief investigator of a study submitted by the regulator said the approval of self-testing for HIV could offer an incredible opportunity to expand access to life-prolonging treatments and prevent the spread of the disease in Canada.
Dr. Sean Rourke, a scientist with the Centre for Urban Medical Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto, said he is working with community organizations across the country to launch a telemedicine program in January that will distribute 60,000 self-tests and allow people to receive medical care.
Rourke believes the need for individual testing has become even more important because a recent survey of about 300 providers showed that the COVID-19 crisis has cut access to clinical HIV testing services by nearly half.
