Laboratory services constitute an essential component in the diagnosis and treatment of persons infected with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Malaria, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, sexually transmitted infections, and other diseases. Although universal access to testing remains an essential focus for laboratory services, existing testing services should be of consistently high quality to ensure that clinicians continually trust laboratory results for patient care decisions. Accreditation is that important milestone in the path of continuous quality improvement and serves as to be a useful tool in strengthening laboratory quality systems. Accreditation of laboratories at all levels either privately or publicly owned is the only way to ensure that quality is maintained. Presently, the laboratory infrastructure and test quality for all types of clinical laboratories remain weak in Nigeria. There is an urgent need to strengthen laboratory services and systems across the six geo-political zones of the country. The establishment of WHO-AFRO Laboratory Accreditation Program provides an affordable and potentially ground-breaking opportunity to improve quality of laboratory practices in Nigeria. The Medical Laboratory Council of Nigeria (MLSCN) has recently adopted, and has commenced implementation of the WHO-AFRO laboratory accreditation standards and checklist for the baseline assessment of medical laboratories in Nigeria as part of the Nigerian National Medical Laboratory Accreditation Program. Nigeria needs to further strengthen laboratory capacity for the purposes of effective health systems and sustainability, hence the need to adopt this program.

Increased challenges resulting from persistent lack of reliable and accurate test results from existing laboratories needed in the management of patients with severe illness and in the improvement of health care delivery, calls for the urgent need to advance all tiers of laboratory system in Nigeria towards national accreditation. Presently, PEPFAR supported laboratories and few other laboratories in Nigeria seem to have quality management system that offers diagnostic services that are of reasonable standards. Therefore they are at the fore front in the delivery of quality laboratory services to support diagnosis, treatment monitoring and prevention of HIV/AIDS and related opportunistic infections.

These laboratories are few in the country and serve less than 10% of the affected populace that need their services. Even these few laboratories are yet to achieve national accreditation therefore the quality of laboratory services delivered cannot be guaranteed. Although some of these laboratories have subscribed to Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria and have initiated the process towards National accreditation, achieving accreditation require guidance and support. This grant will provide the Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria with resources that will enable it mentor, monitor, and regulate the implementation of laboratory quality management systems across Nigerias public and private laboratories.