Chinese genomics company BGI to provide Ethiopia with coronavirus test kits made in an African plant

Chinese Genomics Company BGI Group has put into operation a factory it built in Ethiopia to produce coronavirus test kits for the local population as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to spread around the world, according to a report by the Xinhua News Agency.

The $ 5 million plant, which is Ethiopia’s first coronavirus test kit production facility, is designed to be able to perform 6 to 8 million tests per year and can upgrade its annual capacity up to 10 million if necessary, reported Xinhua, citing Chen Songheng, general manager of BGI Ethiopia.

The Ethiopian Ministry of Health signed an agreement to purchase 1.5 million coronavirus test kits from the factory in three batches, and the first batch of 500,000 test kits will be delivered on October 15, according to the report, adding that the plant would change to make test kits. for diseases such as malaria and tuberculosis and export them to other African countries when the pandemic ends.

BGI has collaborated to support China’s battle against the coronavirus since the Covid-19 outbreak in Wuhan. The company has also expanded its services to overseas markets, saying it has supplied test kits to 35 million people outside of China at the end of June.

Contact Reporter Ding Yi ([email protected])

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