Laboratory technicians have been challenged to produce reliable results that give confidence to clinicians and public health experts.
Health PS Josephine Mburu on Tuesday said reliable results will ensure decisions made based on the results will not be harmful to patients and the general public.
Mburu, who is the PS State Department for Public Health and Professional Standards at the Ministry of Health, spoke during the official opening of a Laboratory Quality Management Systems Workshop.
The workshop brings together laboratory technicians from 21 African countries.
The training, conducted by the East Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), will equip technicians with knowledge and skills on how to implement Proficiency Testing Schemes in their countries, ensuring laboratories in the region conform to international standards.
The PS highlighted the crucial role of laboratory systems in providing quality health services, emphasizing their importance in public health security through laboratory-based surveillance.
“During the Covid-19 pandemic, effective and efficient laboratory systems were critical in the successful fight against harmful pathogens,” the PS said.
She noted that Kenya has strengthened its laboratory systems, particularly in External Quality Assessments.
The East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC) is an inter-governmental health organization that fosters and promotes regional cooperation in health among member states.
Member states of the ECSA Health Community are Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mauritius, Eswatini, United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
