Development of Sustainable Laboratory Equipment Management Programs, a Multi-Country Experience

Sponsors: American International Health Alliance and the Association of Public Health Laboratories
Date: Monday, 10 December 2018
Time: 8:00-12:00
Location: Benue/Plateau

No invitations necessary; open to all conference registrants

TARGET AUDIENCE:

  • Ministries of Health
  • Laboratory Technologists
  • Laboratory Managers
  • Biomedical Engineers and Technicians
  • Program Managers
  • Donors
  • Implementing Partners
  • Service Providers

SEMINAR DESCRIPTION:

Medical laboratories in resource limited settings often face challenges in equipment management due to lack of funds, a shortage of properly trained biomedical engineers and laboratory personnel to maintain the equipment, and access to the required necessary tools. While laboratory equipment management is essential for providing quality diagnostic services and is a critical component for laboratory accreditation, historically little effort has been made towards building the human resource capacity within the Ministry of Health and facility settings to maintain this equipment. In countries where national policies require an equipment management system, maintenance provision often remains inadequate, yielding unreliable equipment operation. The result is ineffective use of scarce material and human resources and sub-optimal provision of healthcare services

American International Health Alliance (AIHA) and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) have each been working in partnership with Ministries of Health in multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa to build the workforce capacity and systems to enable countries to strengthen their laboratory equipment management programs. With funding from United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), AIHA and APHL have been taking a holistic approach to ensure that systems are in place for Ministries of Health to have sustainable laboratory equipment management programs and reduce reliance on outside service providers for their equipment management needs.

This seminar will highlight projects implemented in Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, Ethiopia and possibly other countries to address laboratory equipment management programs. With representation from CDC, the respective Ministries of Health and their national laboratory divisions, AIHA, APHL and other key stakeholders, the seminar will cover:

  • The Ministry of Health need for building the capacity within their laboratory equipment management programs
  • Donor priorities towards strengthening national laboratory programs
  • Development in-service training programs on laboratory equipment
    Establishment of ISO17025:2017 accredited laboratory equipment calibration centers
  • Locally-driven and trained national biosafety cabinet certification programs
  • Development of equipment management laboratory information management systems (LIMS)
  • Site-level mentorship programs to ensure impact and sustainability
  • The role of equipment management in the laboratory accreditation process

The respective country Ministries of Health, AIHA, APHL and stakeholders are seeing the site-level impact of these programs. It is showing that countries have local capacity to implement sustainable laboratory equipment management programs and therefore shift reliance and resources from supporting outside service providers, to supporting their respective facilities. Through a locally-driven approach, laboratory equipment management programs can better ensure sustainability of investments and increase quality of diagnostics.

SESSION LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Attendees will leave the seminar with a better understanding of processes which can be taken to build the capacities at both the national and facility level to establish sustainable laboratory equipment management programs.

Presenters:

  • Wilson Nyegenye, Ministry of Health, Uganda, Central Public Health Laboratories