Regional Workshop on Improving Laboratory Services and Infection Prevention and Control in the GMS

Background

Quality laboratory services is one of the key factors for prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases and other communicable diseases in the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, and Vietnam (CLMV) have invested considerably to improve the laboratory capacity at their central level. However, a Joint External Evaluation (JEE) of IHR core capacity revealed that laboratories at provincial and district levels are unable to comply with internationally acceptable biosafety standards or to generate data of known quality.

According to the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Infectious Disease (APSED) 2017, establishing effective infection prevention control (IPC) practices in health-care settings is essential to reduce the risk of transmission of EIDs to health-care workers, patients, their families and the community. However, systematic establishment of good IPC practices is a challenge in the GMS. Hospital hygiene, and medical waste management are often unsatisfactory. Inadequate IPC practices have resulted in widespread nosocomial transmission as demonstrated during the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), Ebola virus disease and MERS.

Internationally acceptable standard of laboratory services and good IPC practices are especially important in health-care settings. Those issues are basic needs for prevention and early detection of communicable diseases. According to the lessons learned from ADB supported projects, laboratory quality services and IPC at district/ township hospitals is essential for effective prevention and rapid response during the outbreaks.

Rationale

In order to improve the capacity of laboratory services and IPC in the GMS, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) support Regional Capacity Development Technical Assistance (RCDTA) Malaria and the GMS Health Security Project in CLMV countries. According to the findings of initial rapid assessment conducted during the inception phase of the project, needs for training staff, insufficient equipment and supplies, poor quality management system, incomplete external quality assurance and inadequate bio-safety practices and poor compliance with IPC measures at districts health care facilities are the key challenges.

Therefore, ADB encourage the development of evidence based policies for laboratory and IPC, strengthen capacity and routine practices, timely supply of laboratory and IPC equipment, and mobilize the laboratory and IPC experts in the GMS. In addition, ADB support the laboratory and IPC working groups in the GMS as part of regional health cooperation strategy. During the Project Manager’s Meeting conducted in December 2017, priority regional workshop for laboratory capacity building were identified. The working groups for IPC and Laboratory in the GMS is formulated during the second Project Managers’ Meeting in Yangon in May 2018 to facilitate the regional lab and IPC activities efficiently. This is the first working group workshop to discuss detail technical matter to strengthen the capacity for laboratory service and Infection Prevention Control.

Objectives

The overall objective of the workshop is to improve the quality of laboratory services and infection prevention control capacity related to EIDs and communicable disease control in the GMS.

Specific Objectives:

1. Update the status of establishment and endorsement of laboratory and IPC working groups in the GMS.
2. Update the status and finding of country specific baseline assessment for lab and IPC for GMS-Health Security Project.
3. Share the findings of pilot model of laboratory quality assurance system development by RCDTA project.
4. Update available information on laboratory quality service and IPC system development by Development Partners
5. Identify gaps, challenges, enablers and priority issues to improve laboratory services and IPC within the GMS.
6. Develop the strategies and approaches to achieve the targets of laboratory quality improvement and IPC.
7. Explore the available funding and key support among development partners for improving laboratory services and IPC in the GMS.

Expected outputs

• Laboratory working groups and IPC working groups are endorsed by GMS countries.
• Baseline assessment findings of GMS Health Security project and pilot model of laboratory quality assurance system of RCDTA is disseminated.
• Regional strategies, priority activities and approaches for improving laboratory quality services and IPC are identified.
• Available funding resources and key support on laboratory and IPC capacity development are identified.

Proposed list of participants

Countries (28 person)

• Two laboratory focal persons from each countries (CLMV)
• Two IPC focal persons from each countries (CLMV)
• Laboratory focal person from Thailand and China
• IPC focal person form Thailand and China
• Laboratory Expert for GMS-Health Security Project (CLMV)
• IPC Expert from GMS-Health Security Project (CLMV)

Development Partners (8 person)

• WHO Regional advisor for laboratory
• WHO Regional focal person for IPC
• Representative from the World Bank
• Representative from DFID/UK aids
• Representative from US-CDC/ USAIDs
• Representative from JICA
• Representative from URC
• Representative from FEDRIC
• Representative from FAO

ADB (6 persons)

• ADB staff: Project Officer RCDTA
• ADB consultants: Public Health Specialist, Knowledge management Specialist, CDC2 coordinator, Procurement Specialist, MMP specialist