The burden of the HIV epidemic in Africa warrants dramatic intervention. Governments and private sector ventures around the world have recognised this need. Hence funding for the wide-scale rollout of Anti-retroviral (ARV) therapies across the continent is slowly becoming a reality. However, the success of ARV rollout programmes is also dependent on, the often overlooked, development of laboratory infrastructure and human resource capacity to support these rollout programs. This includes the establishment of laboratories with trained personnel for HIV surveillance: diagnosis, monitoring and resistance-development.
The key to our successful establishment of over 40 laboratories throughout the African continent and in Asia, has been the support and training provided by us. We have in addition, trained over 240 delegates from Africa and Asia on various aspects of GCLP compliance and provided quality assurance support and monitoring for over 250 laboratories in Africa and Asia.
CLS support functions in labs throughout Africa include:
· Facilitate local lab readiness
· Site assessments
· Laboratory design
· Audit and follow-up visits
· Development of SOPs and other documentation
· EQA program enrolment
· Database development
· Production of labels and requisition forms
· Training and mentoring: GCLP, Study specific, CD4 etc
· Conference calls to monitor milestones
· Constant e-mail communication
· Daily call support
· Assistance with procurement
· Local on-site training lab for Johannesburg site
Some laboratories at several sites in Africa supported by CLS:
· Burkina Faso
· Senegal - Niakar
· Ghana – Agogo, Kintampo
· Cote D’Ivoire
· Gabon - Lamberene
· Malawi – Blantyre, Lilongwe
· Uganda- Entebbe, Kampala, Thika, Kakira, Masaka
· Rwanda - Kigali
· Kenya – Kilifi, Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Kirogwe
· Tanzania – Moshi, Mwanza, Bagamoyo
· Zambia – Lusaka, Ndola, Kitwe
· Botswana - Gabarone
· Mozimbique – Manicha, Beira, Mbeya, Manhica
· South Africa – CT, DBN, JHB