Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Details for Mechanism ID: 9920
Country/Region: Botswana
Year: 2013
Main Partner: Association of Public Health Laboratories
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: NGO
Funding Agency: HHS/CDC
Total Funding: $330,000

Asociation of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) is a membership organization composed of public health laboratories. Its member organizations with approximately 5,000 professionals provide a readily available resource of training laboratories and experienced experts to assist and support others in completing diverse tasks to support HHS/CDC including strategic planning for national laboratory networks, implementing training programs, planning and managing renovation projects, implementing laboratory management information systems, and procuring equipment and supplies.

APHL goals are to advance training, recruitment, and retention of a competent workforce to meet public health laboratory needs; enhance the visibility, status and influence of the public health laboratory community through effective advocacy, partnerships, and public relations; improve the informatics and knowledge management capabilities of APHL and its members; advance the development and use of comprehensive quality systems and practices for public health laboratories at the local, state, national, and international level.

Funding for Laboratory Infrastructure (HLAB): $330,000

Using the APHL methodology described in the Guidebook for Implementation of Laboratory Information Managemeny Systems (LIMS), APHL collaborated with BOTUSA and the MOH to develop the scope of work (SOW) and assessed selected laboratory sites to identify paper-based strengthening activities and high level functional requirements for LIMS implementation. Following that APHL assisted BOTUSA and MOH to develop and pilot LIMS to support HIV/AIDS care and treatment and the laboratory network system in Botswana. APHL will continue to provide technical assistance to the LIMS working group which has representation from CDC, MOH and other stakeholders in Botswana. In consultation with CDC and MOH, APHL will assess new sites for LIMS implementation and roll out the system to more facilities. APHL will provide technical assistance to selected sites (about ten sites) identified for phase 3 of the LIMS expansion project through meetings with key stakeholders, procurement of computer hardware and software and consultant support. Specific LIMS expansion project activities will include:

1. APHL will continue to monitor and evaluate the current LIMS implementation sites.

2. APHL will conduct in-country laboratory assessments. This will yield the following deliverables:

a. Documentation of current laboratory work and data flows.

b. Documentation of current information technology (IT) and laboratory equipment infrastructure.

c. A final report containing all documentation collected and recommendations on IT infrastructure needs to support an LIMS. This report will also contain recommendations on training needs of the laboratory as well as recommendations for on-going in-country support of the hardware and supporting software (operating system, etc).

3. APHL will convene and facilitate at least two LIMS technical working group meetings in-country to support the MOHs LIMS expansion project. These meetings are key to success as they enable support staff from the Ministry to monitor progress of the project, make informed decisions based upon the status of the expansion implementations and to plan for future activities. APHL and CDC Botswana supported the MOH to develop and implement a five-year strategic plan. As a result a quality assurance laboratory was developed through the support of PEPFAR. Funding is requested to support the laboratory to fully implement the external quality assurance program in the country by providing proficiency testing panel to all the laboratories; organize a benchmark trip to a well-established proficiency testing laboratory; and provide short term technical assistance to the quality assurance laboratory.