Health Systems Strengthening
Using virtual Platforms to improve quality of HIV rapid testing in Tanzania
Since January, 2018 THPS implements a 5-year CDC/PEPFAR funded national health laboratory strengthening project; Strengthening the Quality, Accessibility, and Sustainability of the National Health Laboratory Services in Tanzania under PEPFAR. The project is expanding the quality of HIV rapid testing at all levels and health facilities in Tanzania; through virtual training of non-laboratory testers using the ECHO i.e. Expansion of Extension of Healthcare Community Outcomes platform. ECHO facilitates virtual interactions of subject matter experts and health care givers without travelling from their respective places of work, and allows them to share best practices.
THPS has expanded ECHO infrastructure from 16 to 43health facilities, with additional 28 planned by June 2020 covering all zonal, regional referral and 12 district hospitals. Non-laboratory testers trained in cohorts; spend an hour (09.00-10.00 Hrs.) in 10 consecutive days after which the health laboratory practitioners’ council (HLPC) evaluates and certifies them. Within 9 months from October 2018, 3,019 non-lab testers were trained, THPS anticipates to reach 15,000 during the project lifetime.
Alongside certification of non-laboratory testers THPS is also working with the MoHCDGEC to certify HIV point-of-care testing points in health facilities as part of continuous quality improvement of HIV rapid testing. Testing points are assessed and graded from Level 0 – 4; level 4 being site certification benchmark 700 testing points have been enrolled in site certification in the last 9 months from October 2018.
The projects’ two other focus areas are enhancing laboratory information systems (LIS) to support laboratory data reporting and utilization countrywide and strengthening systems for laboratory commodities supply chain management.