EAC Mobile Laboratories Practical Laboratory Training & Field Simulation Exercise (FSX) at Namanga, Kenya/Tanzania Border - Processes of Handling Infectious Specimen
June 2019
The EAC Regional Network of Public Health Reference Laboratories for Communicable Diseases (Mobile Laboratories) Project aims to strengthen the EAC Partner States’ capacity to rapidly diagnose and respond to pathogens of biosafety level 3 and 4.
To achieve this, the project has among others facilitated the procurement and supply of nine (9) biosafety level 3 and 4 mobile medical laboratory units and test consumables to the six EAC Partner States; trained laboratory experts on diagnosis of highly infectious pathogens; exchanged knowledge among the Partner States and developed instruments (SOPs and guidelines) on handling highly pathogenic organisms.
This training and Simulation Exercise exposed the laboratory experts to real-life scenarios, including packing, transport and setting-up the laboratories; testing the information chain by the Ministries of Health to the National Public Health Laboratories to trigger the deployment of the laboratories; and facilitated learning of lessons during the exercise for improvement in the future.