Diagnosis of XXXX in ghana: the role of laboratory training.

@entity1 @entity378 @entity20376 @entity1907
OBJECTIVES: The laboratory is considered the cornerstone of @entity378 ( @entity378 ) control programme. International review of Ghana's programme in the late nineties identified the laboratory services as the weakest component. @entity20376 ( @entity20376 ) being the main method of diagnosing @entity1907 in Ghana, the training objectives were to: (i) strengthen the knowledge and skills of laboratory personnel on @entity20376 (ii) impart necessary techniques in biosafety and (iii) introduce a Quality Assurance (QA) system in order to strengthen @entity20376 services. METHODS: Personnel were selected for training during a nationwide situation analysis of @entity20376 centres in 2000/2001. Four training sessions on @entity20376 /QA were held between 2001/2004. RESULTS: A total of 80 personnel were trained: 10 regional @entity378 coordinators and 70 laboratory personnel. The @entity1 upon return to their respective regions also organized training within their districts. This approach resulted in another 100 district @entity378 coordinators and 200 laboratory personnel being trained. Improvement in smear preparation, staining and reading ability of the @entity1 were observed during the post-test and subsequent visit to their respective laboratories. The training has led to strengthening of @entity378 laboratory services in the country and has contributed to increase in case detection from 10,745 in 2000 to 11,827 in 2004 and 14,022 in 2008. It was observed during the post-training follow-up and quarterly supervision visits that morale of the personnel was high. CONCLUSION: Continuous training and re-training of laboratory personnel on @entity20376 and QA at regular intervals do play an important role for effective and efficient @entity378 control programme.
