The Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) has issued a public health alert after discovering falsified HIV diagnostic kits being sold in Ghana, raising concerns about the risk of wrong test results and delayed treatment.
In a statement, the Authority identified the affected products as VISITECT CD4 Advanced Disease test kits with lot number 0001586. It explained that these kits are counterfeit and do not meet approved standards.
According to the FDA, the fake kits wrongly list Omega Diagnostics Limited as the manufacturer. In contrast, the genuine VISITECT CD4 test kits are produced by AccuBio Limited and carry a different lot number, 0002172, along with proper product details.
The Authority also pointed out clear inconsistencies in the dates printed on the products. It said the falsified kits show incorrect manufacturing and expiry dates.
While the original kits were manufactured in July 2025 and are due to expire in November 2026, the fake versions indicate August 2024 as the manufacturing date and January 2027 as the expiry date.
