Quality Assurance Testing of Some Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests Procured from Open Markets in Lagos State, Nigeria

Malaria rapid diagnostic tests (MRDTs) have the potential of significantly improving the diagnosis of malaria in developing countries, especially where there is no adequate microscopy service for the diagnosis of malaria or act as a back-up to microscopy for inexperience personnel. However, the absolute reliance of these tests remains a problem due to uncertainty of the quality of the test and lack of confidence since there is no regulation and proper quality control. The remarkable decline in the performance of the MRDTs can be adversely affected by the high temperatures to which they were exposed to in a tropical country, manufacturer’s defects, poor storage facility, mishandling in the course of transportation and use of sub- standard materials in production. There is need for proper regulatory body to regulate the manufacturing and importation of RDTs against any unwholesome practice. Also, there is need to consider the importance of stability of diagnostic test during procurement.