The University Teaching Hospital (UTH) has embarked on a project of evaluating new and practical tuberculosis (TB) diagnostic methods using a loop-medicated isothermal amplification (LAMP) which is said to be rapid, cost effective and simple does not require sophisticated equipment compared to the conventional method currently being used.
The main objective of the study is to establish a new diagnostic method based on the LAMP using sputum and urine for the direct detection and differentiation of Mycrobacteria in clinic samples.
UTH TB laboratory technician Charity Habeenzu said during the second scientific meeting for HIV/AIDS and TB diagnosis by LAMP at UTH last week that the new diagnostic method could also be used on various fields such as tumor detection and other bacteria.
Ms Habeenzu said the LAMP method currently at the learning stage in the UTH TB laboratory should be improved.
She said the LAMP method would only take a day to diagnose TB compared to conventional method, which take about three weeks and it is user friendly as it could be performed in a simple laboratory.
And UTH Head of Pathology and Microbiology Victor Mudenda in his closing remarks at the same function said the LAMP method would assist in quick TB diagnosis and treatment thereby reducing on the number of cases.
Dr Mudenda said the hospital was looking for such early and cheaper diagnosis because many people were still dying from TB.
“LAMP would help answer many of the questions raised on how to reduce the TB burden in Zambia,” he said.
The new method would assist in preventing others from getting infected as it would provide for quick TB diagnosis.
He called on the young scientists to be part of such important research in future that aims at enhancing good health in the country.
[Times of Zambia]
that is postive news for once
investment in medical research is cardinal and i wonder why we always sideline it in zambia.
UTH is a vibrant institution, bt i think alot of their work has been kept secret for a long time.Let them improve on their PR department.Imagine the support they would get if we were kept abreast with all that is going on,even the problems people should be told.This is good news and we commend you guyz to do more am sure with this PF administration, also considering that the fest lady is a medical doctor am sure UTH will be the torch bearer of southern africa
its good to note that the media are now reporting on some positive things that the University Teaching Hospital is undertaking. there is a lot of research and good progress that the public deserves to know about so we hope this will not be the end of ‘positive reporting’..
Analyst dont worry, I see the commitment from the president.When he was in opposition he said this several times.This is time for PF to restore out didginity,Imagine when you go to RSA, its the same zambian doctors treating working there
We implore all media houses including Muvi,mobi & ZNBC to take issues of healsth seriously.UTH deserves serious coverage, you knw the only time we hear of UTH they are fighting with councils over uncollected dead bodies.patiently are sleeping on the floor,nurses attitude is pathetic and people have resorted to beating them up.All these are what media cover, issues of research are far frm coverage.UTH should now reform that institution, if possible retrain or employ sharp PR officer. who would engage media houses into image building of the institution.We also implore the Government to increase funding to research at this institute.We need more money to this sector
All ths bad coverage of UTH was media initiated after maybe patients or other clients complian.UTH for years has been jst reacting to media stories.this is the first story i have read which which i saw was initiated by UTH.This institution should stop this kind of approach of always reacting.They need to be procacttive
That is good news. But we need to know which other country is using LAMP? How accurate are the result? We dont need theory. TB is complicated and u may end up putting people on medication when they dont have TB. Give us more data….
I support increased investment and funding.UTH should also take our complints seruiously.Lst year i brought my sister.It was an emergence case, bt you see these doctors talking on phone, drinking coffe.Some were concentrating on chaps with jst minor bruises saying they came earlier than you.My sister was gasping for breath,I tried to reason with these guys sad enough we lost our sister right on the que, they only rushed to certify her death.Am up to date upset with this pathetic attitude.UTH should also come up with a fast track system of treating emergences.Serious cases should take priority.
constitutional layer, this method has undergone thorough validation and for the scientists to have enough confidence to even publish means it very accurate.
routine culture and sensitivity testing for T.B takes not less than 3 weeks so i think this is a major break through and big up to all the scientist who dedicated their time and energies into this research. Zambia is definitely soaring high.
#2 u right there is very little or almost no research in Zambia in every field (engineering,finance,technology,health etc). That why will take centuries to develop and come up with our own invasions.
Is the method tested and approved by, say WHO?
I know AFB stands for ‘Acid Fast Bacilli’, but please this not a journal to be showing such pictures with absolutely no explaination as to what is happening.
Secondly , who is paying for LAMP and how long are they willing to stay for?
Amake #10. Thank you for the information. There is more information needed about LAMP. As much as I agree that it will reduce on patients waiting time, they did not tell us on accuracy of results and its sustainability.You have mentioned that it had gone through thorough validation b iy t you did not mention by who? WHO and TB control program is not ven mentioned to have tested this diagnosing metnhod. I hate to see our people used as ginpig. Akso the information lacks credibility because Techinician gave out the infor and not senior researcher like Dr Kasolo, Dr Ndhlovu, Dr kabage who have workin hard on this disease.
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