Dar es Salaam: Tanzania’s Nationwide Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) has achieved paunchy accreditation for measles and rubella testing, marking a primary milestone in world health efforts. This accreditation enables the lab to independently behavior and document tests, turning into a pivotal member of the WHO laboratory community.
This became affirmed in an onsite overview led by World Health Organization (WHO) with give a steal to from the Centers for Illness Alter and Prevention (CDC) and Uganda Virus Compare Institute (UVRI).
Dr. Charles Sagoe Moses, the Country Representative, praises this success as a primary step in Tanzania’s dedication to eliminating measles and rubella, “Tanzania’s mosey in direction of eliminating measles and rubella highlights a outstanding success story of laboratory pattern and dedication. WHO has been supporting the laboratory sometime of the assignment of carrying out accreditation by providing coaching, technical give a steal to, and monetary support. The country’s dedication and growth in this space wait on as an appealing example for world health initiatives”.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tanzania’s NPHL achieved ISO 15189:2012 accreditation from SADCAS, bettering its diagnostic capabilities. The lab’s means became bolstered by implementing measles and rubella ELISA serological testing and referring samples for genotyping to the Uganda Virus Compare Institute (UVRI). The COVID-19 pandemic led to reduced testing due to group redeployments and turnover.
Despite these setbacks, Tanzania eager on rebuilding its laboratory capabilities. By 2021, a collaborative coaching program interesting WHO, CDC, UVRI, Nationwide Institute for Communicable Illnesses (NICD), and the Victorian Institute for Infectious Illnesses improved lab performance, including serology testing and information administration by a entire coaching and mentorship program. This initiative efficiently knowledgeable 10 laboratory scientists in serology testing and information administration, leading to distinguished enhancements in laboratory performance and a hit completion of WHO External Quality Assessments (EQA).
Between 2022 and 2024, the NPHL aligned with the WHO Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network to approach molecular characterization. Additionally, the NPHL had efficiently implemented these tactics, genotyping, and sequencing for over 60 measles samples and contributing to the WHO World Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network MeaNS2.
Dr. Dr. Charles Byabamazima, the Coordinator of the WHO Intercountry Give a steal to Put of industrial for East and Southern Africa Measles and Rubella Laboratory underscored; “Tanzania’s dedication to rebuilding and advancing its laboratory capabilities after the COVID-19 disruption stands as a highly effective example for the realm. The Country’s dedication to a complete health agenda is a mannequin for others to apply.”
Other than this primary milestone, the Tanzania’s NPHL also acquired the prestigious Measles & Rubella Partnership Champion World Award at the American Crimson Putrid headquarters in Washington, D.C earlier this twelve months. This accolade acknowledged the laboratory’s outstanding leadership in advancing measles epidemiology by entire molecular detection, a good deal bettering surveillance and elimination efforts.
On his segment, Mr. Ambele Mwafulango, the NPHL Laboratory Supervisor current, “Indeed we are past ecstatic for this outstanding success. Reaching this plot required a sturdy surveillance procedure able to detecting both endemic and import-linked cases, supported by excessive-quality laboratory testing. By strategy of WHO and partners, we are certainly proud for this pattern for public health agenda sometime of the Tanzania and the continent”.
Tanzania’s success story in bettering laboratory testing for measles and rubella demonstrates a primary success in public health. By strategy of dedication, collaboration, and resilience, Tanzania has reinforced its laboratory capabilities, contributing a good deal to the realm effort to connect away with these ailments and make stronger health outcomes for young folks and households.
