Quality control
External Quality Assessment (EQA) programmes provided by WHO partners can help countries to improve diagnostic practices in health care, particularly in resource-poor countries.
WHO advocates for sustainable EQA programmes that:
- identify national training and resource needs for health care diagnostics
- allow the development of national and global advocacy tools for diagnostic excellence
- identify deficiencies in diagnostic procedures, practices and materials
- encourage the use of standardized diagnostic procedures, practices and materials.
WHO provides direct support to EQA programmes, primarily through the activities of WHO Collaborating Centres. WHO also supports training and international meetings which support these goals and objectives for EQA.
Highlights 2002
Quality control programme in the WHO African region
During summer 2002, WHO in partnership with the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) Johannesburg, South Africa, United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) launched one of the largest EQA programmes in Africa. 12 Haemophilus influenza b surveillance laboratories and 24 national reference laboratories from 29 countries are participating in this 12 month programme.
The main goal is to identify laboratory diagnostic capacities for targeted epidemic-prone diseases to determine how to increase and sustain the competencies of those participating laboratories. The programme targets three types of pathogens: enteric pathogens, meningitis and plague. For each pathogen, the coordinating laboratory (NHLS in Johannesburg) prepares and sends samples 3 times a year to participating laboratories. Laboratories have 15 days to report their results to the coordinating laboratory. The first shipment was organized in August 2002; the coordinating laboratory received answers from 34 laboratories out of 36, with more than 80% giving correct answers.
WHO Consultation on Laboratory Quality Control and External Quality Assessment in Resource-poor Environments, 1-2 July 2002, Lyon, France
This meeting gathered selected technical experts and partners in order to discuss the strategic components of EQA programmes in resource-poor environments and how to maximize their value to participants and stakeholders. Specific objectives of the meeting were to:
- review interests and activities of the participants
- review WHO EQA recommendations made in a Global Advisory meeting on EQA programmes in December 1999
- recommend strategic actions for EQA in resource-poor environments.