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April 17, 2018
Kazahkstan Laboratories Modernize with CLSI Help
Overview
Labs gain accreditation, implement QMS, and provide transfer of knowledge to other facilities in the region. Kazakhstan now has a complete strategy to improve its laboratories.
The Situation
Kazakhstan, a country of nearly 18 million people, has thousands of laboratories. However, many were designed and built in the 1950s. After the fall of the Soviet Union, these labs no longer received the support needed to keep them current with international laboratory standards. One study found 50% of HIV-infected donor blood was missed by standard laboratory testing.1
Many of the nation's laboratories were health hazards. Lab doors with no locks or biohazard signs to warn and keep patients out, facilities with no eyewash stations, and outdated practices were regularly observed. Furthermore, there were few experts available who could train technicians on how to apply proper standards.2
The Program
In 2014, the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan (MH RK) worked with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation to launch the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP). A series of target labs were selected to participate in a 15-month laboratory improvement project, overseen by multiple partner organizations.
With the goal of establishing a network of modern labs that follow international laboratory standards and provide reliable and trustworthy results, the program focused on training laboratory managers how to implement a quality management system for their own facilities and to then serve as mentors for improvement efforts at other laboratories.
The Results
Within two years, CLSI helped two labs attain accreditation aligned with ISO 15189 and four more implementing a full Quality Management Systems (QMS). Over 100 personnel were trained, resulting in improved quality of HIV testing, treatment, and monitoring.
The Ministry of Health designated four of the pilot test laboratories to serve as "expert" regional laboratories, offering targeted training to other facilities to improve labs across the nation.
1 Source: https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/22398/cdc_22398_DS1.pdf
2 Source: https://archive.cdc.gov/#/details?url=https://www.cdc.gov/global-health/impact/kazakhstan-quality-control-laboratories.html
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