Ghana’s National Reference Laboratory Assessed for ISO/IEC 17043 Accreditation

From November 25–27, 2024, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), supported by the Fleming Fund’s EQuAFRICA Project, conducted a baseline assessment of Ghana’s National Reference Laboratory to evaluate its implementation of ISO/IEC 17043:2023 requirements. This marks a significant step in Ghana’s journey to becoming an accredited provider of external quality assessment (EQA) services.

The National Reference Laboratory, located in the Department of Medical Microbiology at the University of Ghana Medical School, hosted the assessment. Key stakeholders attended the opening session, including university professors, department heads, research interns, and doctoral students, reflecting broad institutional support for this initiative.

Prof. Eric Sampane-Donkor, Head of the Department of Medical Microbiology, welcomed the effort and pledged his department’s full support. Similarly, Prof. Japhet Opintan, Chair of the Technical Working Group (TWG) for Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance at Ghana’s Ministry of Health, highlighted the potential impact of the assessment, noting that it would strengthen the bacteriology unit’s capacity to fulfill its mandate as the National Reference Laboratory for AMR surveillance.

Prof. Nicholas Dayie, Head of the National Reference Laboratory, expressed satisfaction with the activity. He emphasized that the assessment had helped the laboratory pinpoint its current standing and identify tasks required to achieve accreditation. “We are fully committed to meeting our goal of attaining ISO/IEC 17043 accreditation,” he stated.

This baseline assessment is part of a larger initiative under the Fleming Fund’s EQuAFRICA Project to assist countries interested in developing national EQA programs. By improving the quality of microbiological diagnostics and antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) in laboratories, these programs aim to bolster national capacities for AMR surveillance.

This assessment was conducted using an ISO/IEC17043:2023 based checklist developed by ASLM with support from the Fleming Fund. Ghana’s National Reference Laboratory serves as a pioneer in this process, which will be replicated in other Fleming Fund-supported countries in the coming months.

This initiative underscores ASLM’s commitment to strengthening laboratory systems across Africa, paving the way for more reliable and high-quality diagnostic services essential for combating global health challenges like AMR.