APHL Chosen by PEPFAR to Develop Global Health Laborato...( SILVER SPRING Md. Aug. 12...),Health

SILVER SPRING, Md., Aug. 12 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) has been awarded $6.8 million in first-year funding through the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) to bolster the capabilities of laboratories and laboratory systems in participating countries. The five-year cooperative agreement with the Global AIDS Program at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will support technical assistance to laboratories in 19 countries in Africa, the Caribbean, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia.

The new agreement expands the scope of APHL's Global Health Program from 15 to 19 countries. Ghana, Sierra Leone, the Ukraine and Zambia have joined APHL's existing partners in Angola, Botswana, Cote d'Ivoire, Ethiopia, Guyana, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania and Vietnam.

The agreement also adds to the services offered by APHL to participating countries. Currently the association provides support for strategic planning, laboratory systems development, training and mentoring, laboratory management and quality management. Additionally it supports the design implementation of laboratory information management systems in multiple countries. Under the new agreement, APHL will assist African laboratories seeking accreditation through the newly launched accreditation program sponsored by the World Health Organization's Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) in collaboration with CDC.

"APHL is excited about the prospect of working with the WHO AFRO/CDC accreditation program, because it provides practical tools and assistance to strengthen quality practices in developing country laboratories," said Ralph Timperi, APHL's director of global health and senior director, laboratory practice and management. "It enables labs to advance through a series of accreditation levels to continually improv
'/>"/>