In the past year alone, Australia has purchased enough Rapid Antigen Tests for everyone to get 22 each — millions of which are about to expire, prompting calls for free giveaways for all.
abc.net.au/news/rapid-antigen-test-stockpile-poses-questions-covid/101860922Having spent more than $2 billion buying hundreds of millions of rapid antigen tests at the height of the pandemic, Australian states and territories are now having to decide what to do with what's left over, including millions which will expire soon.
"Queensland Health is actively managing the expiry risk of RATs and is exploring several distribution strategies to minimise avoidable expiry and disposal risks," a spokesperson said. “WA Health is exploring sustainable options for the potential recycling or disposal of expired RATs,” a government spokesperson said.
"Rather than continue to shovel these things out the door, I think the government should be considering either opportunities to resell them, or indeed provide them to other countries such as Indonesia who have been struggling with the disease in their community."Professor of international health at Curtin University Jaya Dantas said while a good idea in theory, many developing countries were not interested in accepting donations because their populations were not testing for the virus.
Professor Baxter pointed to Canada, where free tests are handed out to everyone through many grocery stores and pharmacies.
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