By Kemo Cham
A team of laboratory experts from the US-based Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) was on a week-long tour of Sierra Leone last week.
The team headed by the Executive Director of APHL was to explore priority areas of assistance within the country`s Post Ebola Recovery plan to help strengthen the health ministry`s priority programme.
APHL, based out of Maryland, USA, has been in Sierra Leone since 2009 helping out in the area of laboratories services.
Its Executive Director, Scott J. Becker, at the head the five man delegation which include other APHL staff and consultants, is on his first visit to the country.
Haja Dr. Isatta Wurie, Senior Consultant Public Health Laboratory Specialist, presented the delegation to Minister of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) Dr. Abu Bakarr Fofanah. She described APHL as “a key and crucial partner in public health,” revealing their plans “to beef up” Sierra Leone`s Central Public Health Reference Laboratory (CPHRL), according to a statement from the MoHS.
The delegation is set to visit the CPHRL, among other priority areas, during their stay in the country.
Sierra Leone is planning on aligning its health system to the Regional Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA). To this effect, a two-day GHSA Consultation forum for Laboratory Strengthening organized in collaboration with the World Health Organisation`s Regional Office for Africa and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine was scheduled for October 15-16. The meeting was designed to focus on developing resilient laboratory networks in Africa.
It plans to bring partners together to initiate and build consensus around an inclusive roadmap framework for the implementation of the Global Health Security Agenda across the continent.
At the meeting with Health Minister Fofanah earlier in the week, Becker spoke about his organization’s commitment to building the capacity of young professionals in Sierra Leone.
Minister Fofanah in turn hailed the visitors, citing their focus on the development of laboratory expertise as important given its position in the priority list of his ministry.
Developing the human resource base is welcome news for rapid response to health related issues, the Minister said, disclosing plans by his ministry to pursue preparation of a Draft Laboratory Regulations for ratification.
APHL is working alongside US institutions already in the country, like the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), to launch a year-long project to support and strengthen Sierra Leone`s laboratory system in the aftermath of the Ebola crisis.
This will come in the form of technical assistance to the MOHS and the National AIDS Secretariat.
This support also entail guidance on implementation of the National Laboratory Strategic Plan, mentoring and participation in the laboratory technical working group, as well as mentoring and training for the Central Public Health Reference Laboratory staff.
APHL, in collaboration with CDC Division of Global HIV/AIDS and the MOHS of Sierra Leone, will assist in the development and implementation of the National Laboratory Strategic Plan for the MOHS.
Among the activities earmarked for implementation include building of capacity for testing at the Central Public Health Reference Laboratory and development of a team of laboratory scientists who can conduct reference testing services and provide training to other laboratories in the MOHS network.
A National Surveillance Strategic Plan is also in the making to detail linkages between epidemiology and laboratory.
APHL will support the laboratory science staff at the Central Public Health Reference Laboratory through training and mentoring in testing methods, quality systems, laboratory management and accreditation. It will also seek to expand staff knowledge and increase the number of staff at the Central Public Health Reference Laboratory in order to increase testing volume and the range of tests.
“We are proud of these relationships; proud of our partners, staff and consultants; and eager to begin this critical work,” APHL states on its website about the visit announcing the tour of Sierra Leone.
(C) Politico Online 16/10/15
