THIS IS AN ONGOING ACTIVITY. THE NARRATIVE IS UNCHANGED EXCEPT FOR UPDATED

REFERENCES TO:

+Strengthening of the general capacity of district labs in the areas of development and use of SOPs,

biosafety procedures, facilty level laboratory management training and general lab QA

+Updating and incorporation of HIV/AIDS training in pre-service curriculum for diploma programs

+Identification of a sub-partner for ASCP to assist in the accreditation of NPHLS labs.

+ASCP has rolled out trainings in ART monitoring tests (hematology, CD4, and clinical chemistry) to all

regions of the country

+ASCP has provided consultants to assist the NPHLS in providing oversight for the EQAS programs of CD4

1.LIST OF RELATED ACTIVITIES

This activity relates to activities in Counseling and Testing (#6941) and TB/HIV (#6944).

2. ACTIVITY DESCRIPTION

The Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians and Technologists Board (KMLTTB) was created in 1999 with

the fundamental objective of ensuring quality medical laboratory services countrywide. The Ministry of

Health (MOH) depends on this young body to give leadership in regulating training in medical laboratory

sciences, regulation of laboratory equipment and reagents and establishing systems to ensure quality

laboratory practice. It is a government requirement for all practicing laboratory technicians and technologists

to be registered by this Board. The KMLTTB has made significant progress in the past five years. An

assessment of all relevant training institutions has been completed with the result that those with

unacceptable standards have been shut down. The curricula of these institutions have been reviewed and

standards for professional registration set. The board now plans to embark on a program of support to

laboratories within the country to ensure they are adequately equipped to support HIV/AIDS prevention,

care, treatment and surveillance programs. The American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP) will assist

KMLTTB with these activities. Specific activities areas will include: i) establishment of a system to register

and ensure validation of reagents for HIV diagnosis and treatment support; ii) preparation of standards and

procedures to assure the competence of laboratory personnel; iii) development and implementation of

program for continuing training and education program in areas of clinical chemistry, hematology and CD4

cell counts; iv) review of curricula from training institutions to ensure that ART monitoring techniques are

sufficiently covered; v) conduct training in good laboratory practice (GLP) and accreditation procedures; vi)

establish an inspectorate for HIV testing laboratories that will review, consolidate, and revise existing

documentation for registration of HIV diagnostic and treatment related reagents.

3. CONTRIBUTIONS TO OVERALL PROGRAM AREA

KMLTTB registered laboratory personnel are deployed at public and private health care facilities serving

HIV-infected patients in all parts of the country. They deliver services related to HIV testing, monitoring of

anti-retroviral and opportunistic infection therapy, assuring safe blood supplies, measuring the burden of

HIV infection in populations and monitoring trends of the epidemic (surveillance). These functions are

essential for the implementation and sustenance of all HIV /AIDS prevention strategies such as Counseling

and Testing (HVCT), Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) and ARV treatment programs,

since medical laboratory staff.

4. LINKS TO OTHER ACTIVITIES

This activity is linked to the agreement with the Kenya Medical Research Institute Laboratory Infrastructure

(#6946), which supports the development of National Quality Assurance Programs within the National

Public Health Laboratories (NPHLS) for Blood Safety and HIV testing in Surveillance, HVCT, MTCT and

monitoring of anti-retroviral treatment regimens, and all MTCT, Counseling and Testing, and HIV treatment

programs.

5. POPULATIONS BEING TARGETED

This activity primarily targets laboratory workers.

6. KEY LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ADDRESSED

This activity represents a twinning between equivalent technical agencies.

7. EMPHASIS AREAS

This activity includes MAJOR EMPHASIS in the area of local organization capacity development and minor

emphasis in the area of development of laboratory policies and guidelines. Pre-service education will be

strengthened through curriculum development and faculty training.