Representatives from Australia, New Zealand, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Pacific Community (SPC) handed over a further 640 GeneXpert test cartridges to the Vanuatu Minister of Health, Silas Bule, on Monday 20 July. The test cartridges will enable testing for COVID-19 in Vanuatu and are in addition to the 370 testing cartridges delivered earlier this year.
At the handover ceremony on Monday, Minister Bule thanked representatives from Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific Community (SPC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for assisting Vanuatu to prepare and respond to COVID-19.
“I want to request that our partners please continue to stand with us in this fight to keep our country COVID-19 free,” said Vanuatu’s Health Minister, Hon. Silas Bule.
The GeneXpert system is endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and can produce accurate results within 45 minutes. The delivery of additional GeneXpert test cartridges gives Vanuatu enhanced capacity to test for COVID-19 in-country.
In addition to the test cartridges delivered today, Vanuatu has also been provided with 8,400 swab specimen kits to support testing, PPE (masks, gowns, gloves) to keep health workers safe, thermometers and other medical supplies.
