Nigerian company Codix Bio Ltd is set to produce millions of HIV and malaria test kits at its new factory near Lagos. This move aims to fill the gap left by recent funding cuts from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), a company executive said.
The United States, the largest global humanitarian aid donor, has reduced its foreign assistance budget. About half of this aid is delivered through USAID. In 2024, U.S. support to Nigeria reached $740 million, focusing on malaria prevention, HIV control, and vaccine delivery to local health centers.
It remains unclear how Nigeria will be affected by these cuts. The Nigerian government has promised to raise funds to continue some donor-supported health programs.
Codix Bio’s general manager, Olanrewaju Balaja, said the company will start distributing test kits later this month. The factory operates in partnership with South Korea’s SD Biosensor and has support from the World Health Organization (WHO).
The plant can initially produce 147 million test kits annually, with potential expansion to over 160 million kits. “Based on USAID and PEPFAR supply data, our current capacity can meet Nigeria’s demand,” Balaja told Reuters. He added that if production scales up, Codix Bio could supply kits to West and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Nigeria carries the world’s highest malaria burden, accounting for nearly 27% of global cases, according to WHO. It also ranks fourth globally for HIV cases, per UNAIDS.
“Our goal is to supply rapid diagnostic test kits, especially to donor agencies like USAID, which were leading in this field,” Balaja said. He expects the Nigerian government and other donors, such as the Global Fund, to purchase kits from Codix Bio.
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