Plan to boost laboratory systems in region

Regional health officials are seeking to strengthen laboratory quality systems across the Eastern Caribbean.

This was highlighted at a recent two-day meeting hosted by the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) in Barbados at the Hilton Barbados Resort.

In attendance were national laboratory directors, quality assurance managers, hospital administrators and chief medical officers from across the subregion. Discussions were centred on improving laboratory quality management systems (QMS), boosting compliance with the International Health Regulations (IHR), and enhancing disease detection and public health surveillance.

PAHO consultant Sacha Wallace-Sankarsingh said the forum was critical to ensuring laboratories consistently produce accurate and reliable results.

Accuracy

“There are a lot of different processes that are needed and we want to make sure that not just in Barbados, but across the region, that the systems that the labs have enable that accuracy for the results and the services that they’re providing to the populations as well as to the visitors,” she said.

A major focus of the discussions involved countries’ reporting obligations to the World Health Organisation (WHO). Wallace-Sankarsingh explained that each country is required to submit annual reports outlining various aspects of its health system, including laboratory capacity to detect priority diseases and the systems in place to support surveillance and response.

Participants are reviewing their performance scores over recent years to identify gaps and areas requiring improvement.

“It’s a measurement of where we are right now and where we want to be,” she said.

She pointed to influenza surveillance as an example of strengthened regional laboratory capacity. Since 2020, all national laboratories in the Eastern Caribbean have had the ability to detect influenza viruses.

In Barbados, the Best-dos Santos Public Health Laboratory serves as a WHO-designated National Influenza Centre. The facility receives and tests samples locally before forwarding selected specimens to referral laboratories, including the United States Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, for further characterisation. Data gathered through this surveillance network helps inform the formulation of vaccines for subsequent seasons.

Wallace-Sankarsingh noted the importance of accurate diagnosis in supporting both patient care and regional disease tracking.

“I want to encourage persons that feel that they’re unwell to find out what you have. It’s important to know what you have so you can get the right type of treatment. Don’t just go home and take two Panadols for your headache, it’s important so we know what’s circulating,” she advised.

The meeting formed part of ongoing efforts to build resilient health systems capable of responding effectively to emerging public health threats across the region. (AJ)

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