Publication: Laboratory Professionals in Africa : The Backbone of Quality Diagnostics
Date
2014-11
ISSN
Published
2014-11
Author(s)
Schneidman, Miriam
Dacombe, Russell J.
Carter, Jane
Abstract
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.
Citation
“Schneidman, Miriam; Dacombe, Russell J.; Carter, Jane. 2014. Laboratory Professionals in Africa : The Backbone of Quality Diagnostics. Health, nutrition, and population (HNP)
discussion paper;. © World Bank, Washington, DC. http://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/21115 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO.”