The AU’s target is to raise the total number of tests done to 10 million within the next two to three months.
COVID-19: AU aims for 10 million tests
The African Union (AU) has started a programme that will increase testing for coronavirus on the continent.
Africa has so far recorded over 160,000 cases with 4,600 deaths.
However, experts have said that many cases may be going untested due to the low testing rates, which are some of the lowest globally.
The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention says about 2.4 million tests have been conducted so far.
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But they want more people tested in the coming weeks. They are aiming at tripling the tested people from now. This will mean about 1% of people in Africa would have been tested.
That would also give a clearer picture of the pandemic in Africa.
Testing was hindered, in part, by a global shortage of diagnostic kits.
But a new continental pool by the AU will now give each African country equal access to the supplies.
The AU also intends to train 100,000 frontline healthcare workers and deploy about a million others to help in the contact tracing of patients.
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