In late January 2008, 130 experts and policy makers from 31 countries, including Cambodia, Haiti, Vietnam and 28 Sub-Saharan African countries, gathered for three days in Maputo, Mozambique for the Consensus Meeting on Clinical Laboratory Testing Harmonization and Standardization. Delegates to the meeting, representing PEPFAR, multilateral agencies and development partners, sought solutions to laboratory challenges that limit the scale-up of services for tuberculosis, malaria and HIV diagnosis and care..
They drafted the Maputo Declaration on Strengthening of Laboratory Systems that outlines a number of actions including a "call on donors and development partners to commit to work collaboratively with each other and with coordination from the national governments to support strengthening of laboratory systems in order to create one unified, integrated national laboratory network."
At the end of the meeting, participants agreed to develop national strategic laboratory plans and policies, including standardization and harmonization of laboratory test supplies and equipment. SCMS served as technical secretariat for the meeting, which was sponsored by WHO AFRO and PEPFAR
Reference Guide Document
A reference guide was published and distributed for developing a National Laboratory Strategic Plan, in direct response to a recommendation of the January 2008 "Consensus Meeting on Harmonization and Standardization of Laboratory Tests and Equipment for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria".
Each country is encouraged to have a National Laboratory Strategic Plan as part of its national health plan. National efforts aimed at the development of increased laboratory capacity require policy adoption and strategic planning and implementation of activities appropriate for each country.
This document provides guidance for the development of National Laboratory Strategic Plans in developing countries. Access
Guide.
Annex Documents
- Annex C .for the summary of workgroup recommendations for laboratory tests performed at each level of a laboratory network
- Annex D. General and Technical Considerations for Tests Listed in Annex E. This Annex has valuable information for those who already have active laboratories as those who are just starting from scratch. There are laboratory considerations (checklists) for each level, as well as considerations for each individual test.
- Annex E. Chart of Laboratory Tests With Examples of Equipment and Vendors for Each Test.
- Annex F. General Supplies for Laboratory Levels I, II and III. This Annex contains lists of supplies needed to run each testing procedure. These are the supplies that are not included in test or reagent kits but a test cannot be performed without them.
- Annex G. General Lab Equipment by Tier. This annex provides a list of recommended instruments by level of the laboratory. The instruments are recommended by CD4, Chemistry, Hematology, TB, Syphilis, Serology and Microbiology testing among others.
- Annex H. Vendor Questionnaire. This document lists important considerations for service contract negotiations that countries, partners should keep in mind when negotiating service, maintenance and reagent rental deals with vendors.
- Annex I. Considerations when Procuring Laboratory Equipment and Negotiating Contracts. This annex lists some of the considerations that should be made when procuring laboratory equipment and reagents at the program level. They include, assessing the laboratory system needs, researching the international market to identify equipment that meets identified needs and the need to develop specifications prior to the purchase of equipment. Example contracts are also provided.
