Strengthening TB labs in Ethiopia and Kenya

The World Health Organization’s End TB Strategy defines specific priorities to keep all stakeholders on track, including “early diagnosis of TB including universal drug susceptibility testing, and systematic screening of contacts and high-risk groups.” To achieve this, effective TB laboratory services are critical. But what do we need to do to make it happen?

National TB reference laboratories (NTRLs) are the cornerstone of a country’s TB laboratory network. Accreditation of NTRLs is key to strengthening a country’s diagnostic network so that quality-assured diagnostic services can be made available to the people who need them.

Ethiopia and Kenya have been identified by WHO as high-burden countries for TB, multidrug-resistant TB, and TB/HIV – and are therefore global priorities for TB laboratory strengthening. BD Global Health teamed up with us to support NTRL accreditation and expanded country capacity for universal drug susceptibility testing in these two countries. Watch our video to see what this means for our teams every day.