Press Release III: Test Kits

Tegucigalpa, April 20, 2020.- Given recent news regarding the Donation of the COVID 19 Detection Test Kits to the countries of the SICA region, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) states the following

1. Upon request for support made by the governments of the SICA countries to CABEI at the March 12, 2020 Presidents' Summit Meeting and concerned about the difficult situation that countries face in their health systems with the COVID 19 pandemic, CABEI with the technical support of COMISCA (Council of Ministers of Health of Central America and Dominican Republic), which is the regional entity representing the SICA ministries of health, decided to donate 182 thousand Test Kits, denominated PowerChekTM 2019-nCoV Real-time PCR Kit; these were procured from a duly certified company.
2. Prior to the procurement of the PowerChekTM 2019-nCoV Real-time PCR Test Kits, COMISCA reviewed the hardware and software requirements compatible with the product, indicating that all the National Reference Laboratories (at the central level) of Public Health in the countries of the region (Central America and the Dominican Republic) had compatible equipment for the PowerCheck™ 2019-nCoV Real-time PCR test.
3. Diagnostic laboratories usually have capabilities to process other types of analysis using what is denominated a Sample Collection Kit and Extraction Kit in the process.
4. Before making the donation, CABEI provided the technical information of the product, specifying the kit components to the government counterpart authorities in each country of the region. Subsequently, each country officially accepted the Donation of the PowerChekTM 2019-nCoV Real-time PCR Test Kits.
5. Specifically, what CABEI offered to donate to the countries was the PowerChekTM 2019-nCoV Real-time PCR Kit test, which is the component with the highest cost and most difficult to obtain in the markets. The donation was accepted by governments and formalized in cooperation agreements between the countries. There was never any mention nor offering by CABEI to donate the sampling kit and/or the extraction kit to the countries.
6. CABEI hereby reiterates that the PowerChekTM 2019-nCoV Real-time PCR Test Kits donated to the SICA countries were provided in full, pursuant to the components included in the kit's technical description.
7. CABEI reaffirms that, if the countries require additional support to acquire other inputs that are necessary in their laboratories including sampling kits and extraction kits, it is ready and willing to support them. Such has already been requested by the Government of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador, for whom the Bank is making additional efforts with its extra-regional member, South Korea, to fulfill the request.
8. On April 19, 2020, CABEI Executive President held a conversation with the Costa Rican Minister of Health in which they agreed to find a way to obtain a donation of extraction kits due to the shortage in the market.
9. As the region's Development Bank, CABEI reiterates its commitment to support all the governments of the SICA countries and its member countries to face the challenges of the COVID19 pandemic.