global health
APHL Moves Laboratories Forward in
Manicaland Province
by Michael Makaya, laboratory consultant, Global Health; Sadaf Chaudhry, manager, Global Health;
and Gynene Sullivan, MA, senior specialist, Communications
M
anicaland is home to over 1.7 million people—the second most
populous province in Zimbabwe. APHL is actively working with two
districts in this province to advance laboratory services.
ASLM Audit Results
In September 2016, APHL, in partnership with the African Society of Laboratory
Medicine (ASLM), conducted an audit of 12 Ministry of Health and Child Care
laboratories. While all 12 laboratories showed significant improvement, the
Mutare Provincial Hospital laboratory received a four-star rating (a star below
the highest rating in the ASLM system) and the Nyanga District Hospital
laboratory received a three-star rating.
The Nyanga laboratory started implementing Strengthening Laboratory
Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) in October 2015. Over the past
18 months, APHL has supported the laboratories in their development of
documents and records, and has provided mentorship, ISO 15189 quality
management systems training and resources.
When asked about the factors that contributed most to their high rating,
laboratory staff cited support from management, commitment to service,
teamwork and promotion of quality improvement, among others. “Working
on quality improvements is never a static process,” said Blessing Mafokosho,
laboratory technician and safety officer. “The right people working top-down
and bottom-up makes all the difference.” APHL will continue to support
these efforts.
HIV 90-90-90 Initiatives
Michael Makaya (left) hands over HIV viral load collecting tubes to Nyanyadzi Hospital nurse
Sister Chikwerengo
In 2014, UNAIDS announced an ambitious plan: to eliminate AIDS planet-
wide by 2030. To do so, there are three key steps essential to this goal: 90%
of all people living with HIV know their status, 90% of those diagnosed are
on sustained antiretroviral treatment (ART) and 90% of those on ART have
an undetectable viral load. In line with these recommendations, APHL has
supported HIV viral load testing scale-up in Manicaland since September
2016, performing sensitization visits to collection sites, distributing collection
materials and supporting Mutare Provincial Hospital Laboratory where the
samples are tested.
# of Viral Load Tests Performed at
Mutare Laboratory
4000
2000
0
Jul-16
Aug-16
Sep-16
Oct-16
Nov-16
Dec-16
Nyanga laboratory staff members (from l to r): Microscopist Anna Nyagura, Lab Manager/Lab Technician
Zacharia Satumba and Safety Officer/Lab Technician Blessing Mafokosho
22
LAB MATTERS Spring 2017
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