EAC Mobile Laboratories Project - Video Materials

Posted in Mobile Labs

EAC-RNPHRL-CD Phase I interventions

Posted in Mobile Labs

Project key information

• Project executing agency (PEA): EAC Secretariat
• Financing partner: German Development Bank (KfW)
• Implementation period: phase I (2017-2020; extension to December 2022)
• Implementing partners: EAC Partner States' Public Health Reference Laboratories
• Technical consultant: Bernhard-Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) (4 Technical Staff seconded to EAC Secretariat)
• Procurement consultants: GOPA Infra in phase I
• Project staffing: 3 Coordination Staff, EAC Secretariat

Key Objective:

The purpose of phase I (2017 to 2020) of the EAC regional network of public health reference laboratories for Communicable Diseases project was to install nine (9) mobile laboratories units in order to strengthen the capacity of EAC Partner States to detect and respond to viral pathogens of biosafety levels 3 and 4 nature, with a particular focus on Viral Haemorrhagic Viruses (VHFs), such as Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), Crimean Congo Hemorrhagic (CCHF), Marburg Virus Disease (MVD), Yellow Fever, Rift Valley Fever, among others.

These mobile laboratories are of modular design and, depending on the need, can be packed up in 15-20 boxes and rapidly deployed to any potential outbreak either by car, plane or boat. The key equipment of these laboratories is a BSL3/4 containment glovebox in which viruses and bacteria can be inactivated and rendered non-infectious for further diagnosis. The current setup of these phase I laboratories, however, does not allow the detection of bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles, as these analyses require pre-culture steps of viable bacteria for accurate diagnosis. This gap in diagnostic capacity was a priority issue raised during recent discussions with the Ministries of Health (MoH) and National Public Health Laboratories (NPHLs), during phase I of the mobile laboratory project.

Currently, none of the partner countries has the capacity to safely culture bacterial pathogens in the field and therefore samples need to be collected from peripheral health centres and sent to centralised reference labs (mostly in capital cities) for culturing, diagnosis and antimicrobial resistance testing.

Deployment of Mobile Laboratories in the Region during outbreaks as of 30^th June, 2022

Mobile Laboratories Project Statistics

Posted in Mobile Labs

The mobile laboratories field mission serves as; the first respondent to confirm the cause of disease outbreaks (x21), strengthen diagnostics preparedness capacities(x9), and to conduct scientific research (x12). A total of 42 field missions have been conducted in Phase I.

In Summary:

• 27/27 field missions completed under Phase I (100%);
• 15/18 field missions with phase I modular labs completed under phase II (83%); and
• 0/18 field missions with AMR container labs completed under phase II (0%).

Summary of Field Missions Conducted by the EAC Mobile Laboratories each Partner State

The project embarked on various training programs to create, maintain and expand the pool  of laboraoty experts in the EAC Region. In summary, a total of sixteen (16) training programs were conducted over the period, resulting in about 406 trained laboratory experts

Summary of Training Sessions Conducted by the EAC Mobile Laboratories  Project

EAC-RNPHRL-CD Project - Phase II Milestones

Posted in Mobile Labs

The project was established under directive (EAC/Health/SCM13/Directive 36). The key objective is to strengthen the capacity of Partner States to rapidly detect and respond to disease outbreaks. This is being achieved through the mobile laboratory networks divided into two phases of implementation. Phase II (2021-2024) focuses particularly on antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and response.

1. Procurement of container mobile laboratory units

• Establishment of at least one (1) mobile BSL3 container laboratory unit for bacterial culture and mobile field sequencing and bioinformatics in each Partner States.
•  The specifications have been agreed by all Partner States and procurement is ongoing to acquire at least six (6) additional mobile container laboratories units, equipment and vehicles, designed for antimicrobial resistance in phase II.
• Linking all the mobile container laboratories with the existing mobile modular laboratories established under phase I.
• Undertaking field missions for antimicrobial resistance (AMR) surveillance and rapid regional response to disease outbreaks.
  
  

2. Training of laboratory experts

• Trainings are ongoing for laboratory experts in microbiology, bioinformatics, assay development, scientific writing, quality management systems, EQA etc.
• Development of regional bio-engineering capacity.
• Harmonisation of standard operating procedures (SOPs) across the laboratory network.
• Data sharing in the mobile laboratory network through EAC Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS)