Building and improving integrated laboratory capacity and quality services in the democratic republic of the congo (DRC) under the president's emergency plan for aids relief (pepfar) - in this funding…

Building and improving integrated laboratory capacity and quality services in the democratic republic of the congo (DRC) under the president's emergency plan for aids relief (pepfar) - in this funding request, the global health systems solutions (ghss) will assist the government of DR congo to build laboratory capacity to improve the quality of HIV testing services and timely release of results for HIV prevention, treatment and care in 54 CDC/pepfar health zones, and quality management system (QMS) in 29 diagnostic laboratories. Ghss will leverage its vast experience acquired over the last 13 years in implementing the CDC/pepfar grants in cameroon and DR congo in partnership and collaboration with ministries of health of both countries, to implement the activities outlined in this application, and address existing challenges that hinder access to, and availability of quality laboratory services. Specific objectives will include: 1) scale up of quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement at HIV RT and TB sites; 2) scale up quality testing for VL, EID and TB for POC and conventional testing laboratories and enhance timely delivery of results; 3) implement QMS in the molecular and referral laboratories for accreditation and sustained quality services; 4) support an integrated sample transport network for improved sample management; 5) improve equipment management and physical facility for efficient HIV testing and other related diseases; 6) support the development of policy, guidelines and creation of TWG for improved laboratory programs implementation; and 7) improve laboratory detection of early signals for emerging public health threats. With limited compliance of laboratories to ISO 15189 standards, in DR congo, ghss will enrol new laboratories into stepwise laboratory improvement process towards accreditation (slipta) and establish a national laboratory network to reinforce the strategy to strengthen services and optimize case finding among agyw and key populations in line with the pepfar COP 22, support the national aids control program (pnls), implement programmatic priorities and strategically expand and strengthen PE ople-centered activities to attain epidemic control in haut katanga and lualaba and selected health zones in kinshasa. At the end of the project period, ghss will achieve the following outcomes: 1) expand coverage and improve the quality of HIV rapid test results in 2000 sites using the who stepwise process for improving the quality of HIV rapid testing (SPI-RT) standards and 20 poct sites engaged in early infant diagnosis, VL and TB, and achieve certification of 100 sites and testers; 2) increase the coverage for VL, EID by 20% through the procurement and distribution of 14500 genexpert cartridges, and by ensuring that high/critical VL results are communicated in real time to clients or clinics following diagnosis leading to an improved person-centered care for epidemic control; 3) improve QMS in 20 laboratories according to the who/afro/CDC slipta and achieve accreditation to ISO 15189 in at least five laboratories, resulting in improved accuracy and reliability of patient test results; 4) establish an integrated sample transport network that will support the reduction of turnaround time from sample collection to the use of results by clinicians in pepfar supported sites for improved patient management; 5) improve equipment management and support upgrades of laboratory physical facility to improve accuracy, reliability of test results and facilitate work flow for a safe working environment 6) support the creation of a laboratory TWG and facilitate policy development for improved coordination of partners' efforts and create an enabling environment to improve adherence to quality standards; 7) decrease response time to public health emergencies allowing stakeholders to anticipate any outbreak and prepare adequately for response.