Making history: Ugandan veterinary laboratories gain international accreditation

Uganda made history this year by becoming the first country in Africa to have two of its veterinary laboratories recommended for international accreditation by the South African National Accreditation Society (SANAS). The Mbale Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Mbale City and the Uganda Wildlife Authority Diagnostic and Research Laboratory in Queen Elizabeth National Park have been accredited by SANAS according to ISO/IEC 17025:2017 standards.

Veterinary laboratories play a crucial role in global health security and climate change by diagnosing infectious diseases and monitoring zoonotic diseases, those that can be transmitted from animals to humans. Accreditation ensures that laboratories deliver accurate and timely information, crucial for public health safety.

Guided by the Government of Uganda and implemented by PATH in Uganda, the USAID Infectious Disease Detection and Surveillance (IDDS) Project, led by ICF, supported the two veterinary laboratories and provided the necessary technical assistance to meet standards. ISO.

SANAS granted the accreditation following a comprehensive assessment that began in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and included baseline audits, mid-term assessments, and exit audits. The evaluators verified compliance with international veterinary laboratory practices defined by the World Organization for Animal Health.

The accreditation is the result of four years of intensive support and capacity building from the USAID IDDS project led by ICF and a consortium of organizations with extensive experience in infectious diseases, disease detection and surveillance, and health information systems: FHI 360, PATH, the Mérieux Foundation, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine, Abt Associates, Gryphon Scientific, Metabiota and the Association of Public Health Laboratories.

I spoke with Derrick Mimbe, USAID IDDS Project Director at the PATH Uganda office, and Thomas Ssemakadde, Diagnostic Specialist, also at the USAID IDDS Project at the PATH Uganda office, to learn more about the importance and implications of this accreditation milestone.