afrol News, 13 August - The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) has been awarded $6.8 million in first-year funding through the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to bolster the capabilities of laboratories and laboratory systems in participating countries, mainly in Africa.

The five-year cooperative agreement with the Global AIDS Programme at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will support technical assistance to laboratories in 19 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.

The new agreement also expands the scope of APHL's Global Health Programme from 15 to 19 countries. Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Ukraine and Zambia have joined APHL's existing partners in Angola, Botswana, Cote d\'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam.

APHL further said the agreement also adds to the services offered to participating countries. “Currently the association provides support for strategic planning, laboratory systems development, training and mentoring, laboratory management and quality management. Additionally it supports the design implementation of laboratory information management systems in multiple countries. Under the new agreement, APHL will assist African laboratories seeking accreditation through the newly launched accreditation programme sponsored by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) in collaboration with CDC,” said APHL in a statement.

"APHL is excited about the prospect of working with the WHO AFRO/CDC accreditation programme, because it provides practical tools and assistance to strengthen quality practices in developing country laboratories," said Ralph Timperi, APHL's director of global health and senior director, laboratory practice and management. "It enables labs to advance through a series of accreditation levels to continually improve testing quality and improve patient care. This is a smart approach that will develop sustainable capacity for quality services in African countries."

The Association of Public Health Laboratories is a national non-profit located in Silver Spring, MD, that is dedicated to working with members to strengthen governmental laboratories with a public health mandate. By promoting effective programs and public policy, APHL strives to provide public health laboratories with the resources and infrastructure needed to protect the health of U.S. residents and to prevent and control disease globally.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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