Kampala, Uganda SRL

Website: http://ntrl.or.ug/

Contacts:

Prof. Moses Joloba (m.joloba@gmail.com / mlj10@case.edu)

Supranational TB Reference Laboratory in Kampala, Uganda

Address:

Plot 106-1062 Butabika Road, Luzira

Opposite. Butabika National Mental Referral Hospital

P.O. Box 16041, Wandegeya, Kampala

Phone:

+256- 414-236 250

Toll Free:

+256 800 111 133

Email: srluganda.info@ntrl.or.ug

Description

The Uganda National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory was started as the Uganda Bacteriological Investigation Unit in the late 1950s under the then East African Community. The laboratory participated in anti-TB clinical trials and drug toxicities under the then British Medical Research Council (MRC).

After the collapse of the East African Community in the 1970s, the laboratory reverted to the Ministry of Health. Its name changed to Central Tuberculosis Laboratory (CTBL) in the 1980s and later to National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory in the 1990s.

The NTRL was awarded ISO 15189 accreditation and designated as a WHO Supranational Reference Laboratory (SRL) in 2013, becoming the first SRL in East Africa and the second in Sub-Saharan Africa to attain this recognition. It is also the first among the three active WHO SRLs in the sub-region to receive accreditation for TB diagnostics.

The SRL offers support to National TB Reference Laboratories (NTRLs) in more than 21 countries including: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Comoros, Guinea Bissau, Madagascar, São Tomé and Príncipe and Cape Verde.

The Supranational Reference Laboratory serves as a referral center for National TB Reference Laboratories, performing diagnostic tests that are technically complex or require specialized equipment and competencies that are not present in referring Member States. Examples include but not limited to testing for Drug Resistance patterns and mutations using both phenotypic methods and genomics to guide patient management.

The Uganda SRL has made exceptional progress in the recent years, notably with the establishment of a state-of-the-art Biosafety Level 3 laboratory. This advancement has accelerated fundamental functions such as an integrated sample referral system, development of capacity to provide accredited and affordable comprehensive Proficiency Testing panels, among others. The laboratory has also developed standardized training curricula which attained IACET accreditation in 2021 in addition to developing and implementing a Laboratory Information System (LIS) customized for TB culture laboratories. information management system.

Structure and organization

The Uganda National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory is one of the nine National specialized referral laboratories under the National Health Laboratory & Diagnostic services (NHLDS), a department of the Ministry of Health which is directly responsible for all the diagnostic activities of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy control Programme (NLTP) of the Ministry of Health (MoH) at all levels of the network. The SRL runs under the oversight of the Commissioner Health services -NHLDS to whom the Laboratory Director reports and currently employs over 58 staff of different cadres including Laboratory Specialists, Scientists, Technologists, Bioinformaticians, Biomedical Engineers, Administrators, M&E Specialists, Data and IT specialists, Laboratory Assistants and Support Staff.

Services provided by the SRL

Programmatically, the SRL

Coordinates and prospectively communicates with WHO and its technical partners, NRLs and National TB Programs (NTPs) to facilitate implementation of WHO policy guidance on TB diagnostics, Laboratory norms and standards with respect to relevant national guidelines and regulations.
Supports the integration of quality TB diagnostic services for the purpose of providing prompt and accurate results to patients according to the International Standard of Care with national laboratory strategic plans, incorporating cross-cutting laboratory issues, including supply management, specimen transport, referral and human resource development.
Advocates for TB laboratory worker protection with use of current WHO TB bio-safety recommendations.
Supports the development of monitoring and evaluation indicators through creation of scalable, effective data management systems.
Guide and Strengthen Quality management systems towards ISO15189 and ISO/IEC 17043 Accreditation and capacity building among beneficiary countries to develop sustainable integrated PT programs, maintenance of ISO/IEC 17043 and ISO 15189 accreditation.

Technically, the SRL:

Serves as the focal point for coordination of technical assistance to NRLs (or equivalent) to enable:

Proficiency monitoring of drug susceptibility testing of M. tuberculosis and other related lung diseases
Support Strengthening of integrated sample referral systems
The provision of proficiency testing panels for TB diagnostic assays and other lung-related infections such as SARS-CoV-2.
Support to countries with technical assistance to develop capacity and proficiency in performing conventional and new WHO-endorsed assays, including: Microscopy methods, Culture and identification methods
Drug susceptibility testing (phenotypic and molecular methods)
Assistance and collaboration in the development of drug resistance survey (DRS) protocols, data validation, and quality assurance as required.
Provision of testing against second-line drugs (for both patient management and surveillance purposes) until NRLs establish capacity.
On-site technical training or in-house training of NRL staff as needed.
Conduct operational research and innovation tailored towards providing evidence to improve TB diagnosis
Support Biosafety and biosecurity system strengthening
Promote governance and leadership in the laboratories using the one health approach