Looking Back at CLSI–Ghana PEPFAR Activities (2010-2015)

CLSI received President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding for work in Ghana beginning in 2010. CLSI’s programming targeted building capacity of the laboratory leadership in Ghana, focusing on a systems approach to quality in laboratory medicine, supporting the development and implementation of appropriate policies for laboratory operations at all levels throughout the health care system.

Year 1 Activities:
Year 1 activities targeted both the national laboratory as well as operational levels. CLSI was invited to provide guidance to Ghana Health Service (GHS) to develop a laboratory accreditation policy. With the PEPFAR directive to move labs towards accreditation, this document was intended to help guide accreditation preparedness activities. Additionally, CLSI provided a 3-part workshop series on quality management systems (QMS) to targeted laboratories.

Year 2 Activities:
The accreditation policy was developed and completed during year 2 and a QMS Workshop 2 was also conducted that equipped the participants with QMS knowledge and implementation tools that were applicable to their laboratory settings. A total of 23 participants successfully completed the QMS workshops.

Year 3 Activities:
CLSI conducted a 3-part Laboratory Assessor Training program that equipped participants with auditing skills that enabled them to conduct audits aligned to the ISO 15189 standard requirements from their planning, conducting, and close-out on audit findings. A total of 15 participants successfully completed the training.

Year 4 Activities:
CLSI planned and prepared the delivery of a QMS Laboratory Leadership Certificate Program in collaboration with Roche Training Center in Johannesburg. Although efforts were spent on developing this program, it was not implemented, as Roche funding was not enough to fully implement the program and CLSI support was also inadequate. CLSI completed competency assessment for the Laboratory Assessors trained in year 3.

Year 5 Activities:
CLSI conducted a 2-part Quality Managers’ Training program meant to build the local capacity of the quality managers in implementing and managing QMS activities. A total of 12 participants successfully completed the training. Additionally, CLSI worked with Ghana Association for Biomedical Laboratory Scientists (GABMLS) to integrate QMS training into existing pre-service and in-service training curricula. In preparation for the use of the curricula, 10 GABMLS-identified local faculty completed the CLSI LQMS online certificate program.

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