Laboratory Professionals in Africa : The Backbone of Quality Diagnostics
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World Bank, Washington, DC
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Laboratories have historically been
under supported in developing country health systems
resulting in poor quality diagnosis and inadequate disease
surveillance. Laboratory professionals are predominantly
male with relatively limited female labor participation,
with potential gender based barriers to advancement. The
focus on communicable diseases has meant that funding for
broader public health laboratory services has been
relatively neglected. In this paper the authors present a
number of strategies to address these problems based on the
outcomes from a literature review and case studies conducted
in four African countries. Improved registration and human
resource planning are required to establish the scale of the
problem and to develop country specific strategies to
address skills shortages. More high quality pre-service
training is needed to supply the service with suitably
skilled professional staff to address the current deficit.
Innovative in-service training is essential to maintain
competence and collaboration is required with the private
sector to utilize their expertise. A clear career structure
with transparent promotional opportunities is required to
recruit and retain staff in the public sector. The
establishment of suitable work environments and regulatory
and representative bodies will also support recruitment and
retention as well as enhance quality. It is also clear that
this cadre has been underrepresented in human resources for
health research and more activity in this area will lead to
greater understanding of the problems and provide more
potential solutions.
Palabras clave
ACCREDITATION, ACCREDITATION BODIES, ACQUIRED IMMUNE DEFICIENCY SYNDROME, AIDS PATIENT, AIDS RELIEF, ANEMIA, AVIAN INFLUENZA, CAREER, CAREER DEVELOPMENT, CAREER OPPORTUNITIES, CHIKUNGUNYA, CLINICAL PRACTICES, CLINICS, COMMUNICABLE DISEASE, COMMUNICABLE DISEASES, COMPETITIVE SALARIES, COST OF TRAINING, COUNSELORS, CURRICULUM, CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, DEGREE PROGRAMS, DEGREES, DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS, DIAGNOSES, DIAGNOSIS, DIAGNOSTICS, DISEASE, DISEASE CONTROL, DISEASE OUTBREAKS, DISEASE SURVEILLANCE, DISEASE TRANSMISSION, DRUG RESISTANCE, EBOLA, ECONOMIC GROWTH, EFFECTIVE USE, EMERGENCY PLAN, EMPLOYMENT, EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES, ENDEMIC DISEASES, EPIDEMIC, EPIDEMICS, EPIDEMIOLOGISTS, EPIDEMIOLOGY, FEMALES, FEVER, FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS, FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSIONS, GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION, GOVERNMENT POLICIES, GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, HEALTH CARE, HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, HEALTH CENTERS, HEALTH FACILITIES, HEALTH INTERVENTIONS, HEALTH MINISTRIES, HEALTH OUTCOMES, HEALTH POLICY, HEALTH REGULATIONS, HEALTH RESEARCH, HEALTH SECTOR, HEALTH SYSTEM, HEALTH SYSTEMS, HEALTH WORKERS, HEALTH WORKFORCE, HEMATOLOGY, HIGHER EDUCATION, HIGHER LEARNING, HIV, HIV TESTING, HIV/AIDS, HOSPITAL, HOSPITALS, HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING, HUMAN RESOURCES, HYGIENE, ILLNESSES, IMMUNE DEFICIENCY, IMMUNOLOGY, INFECTION, INFECTIOUS DISEASES, INFLUENZA, INFORMANT, INFORMANTS, JOB SATISFACTION, LAB, LABOR FORCE, LABOR MARKET, LABORATORIES, LABORATORY, LABORATORY FACILITIES, LABORATORY SERVICES, LABORATORY WORKERS, LEARNING, LEARNING OUTCOMES, LITERATURE, LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES, LUNG DISEASES, MALARIA, MALARIA DIAGNOSIS, MEDICAL EQUIPMENT, MEDICAL LABORATORIES, MEDICAL RESEARCH, MIDWIVES, MIGRATION, MINISTERS OF HEALTH, MINISTRIES OF HEALTH, MINISTRY OF EDUCATION, MINISTRY OF HEALTH, MINORITY, NATIONAL ACCREDITATION, NATIONAL HEALTH SYSTEMS, NATIONAL LABORATORY, NATIONAL LEVEL, NATIONAL STRATEGIES, NEEDS ASSESSMENT, NUMBER OF WORKERS, NURSE, NURSES, NUTRITION, ON THE JOB TRAINING, PAPERS, PATHOLOGY, PATIENT, PATIENTS, PHARMACISTS, PHARMACY, PHYSICIANS, PHYSIOTHERAPISTS, POLICY DECISIONS, POLICY DISCUSSIONS, POLICY LEVEL, PRACTITIONERS, PREVENTIVE MEDICINE, PRIVATE SECTOR TRAINING, PRIVATE TRAINING, PRIVATE TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PROFESSIONAL TRAINING, PROGRESS, PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC POLICY, PUSH FACTORS, QUALIFIED PERSONNEL, QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS, QUALITY ASSURANCE, QUALITY CONTROL, QUALITY IMPROVEMENT, QUALITY OF SERVICES, REAGENTS, REGIONAL NETWORKS, RESEARCH INSTITUTE, RESPECT, RISK OF EXPOSURE, RURAL AREAS, SCHOOLS, SCIENTIST, SCIENTISTS, SECONDARY SCHOOL, SERVICE DELIVERY, SERVICE PROVIDERS, SERVICE PROVISION, SKILLED HUMAN RESOURCES, SKILLED PERSONNEL, SKILLED STAFF, SMALLER NUMBER, SOCIAL WELFARE, SPILLOVER, STDS, STRENGTHENING HUMAN RESOURCES, STUDENT INTAKE, SYPHILIS, TB, TEACHING, TEACHING MATERIALS, TECHNICAL EXPERTISE, THREATS, TRAINING FACILITIES, TRAINING INSTITUTIONS, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES, TRAINING PROGRAMS, TREATMENT, TROPICAL MEDICINE, TUBERCULOSIS, URBAN AREAS, VICIOUS CYCLE, VIRUS, WEIGHT LOSS, WORK ENVIRONMENT, WORK FORCE, WORKERS, WORKFORCE, WORKING CONDITIONS, WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION