LabNetLead Course Training Begins in Zimbabwe

The LabCoP piloted its laboratory network leadership (LabNetLead) course in Zimbabwe between 21 and 26 February 2022. The LabNetLead course introduces essential concepts and activities to design, optimise, lead, and manage functional, high-quality laboratory networks. The system is part of the African Society of Laboratory Medicine’s (ASLM) Laboratory Systems Strengthening Community of Practice (LabCoP) program that focuses on human health laboratory network management.

Zimbabwe’s Director of Laboratory Services, Dr Raiva Simbi, and the ASLM CEO, Mr Nqobile Ndlovu, officially opened the training. Twenty technical working group (TWG) members responsible for managing the laboratory network in Zimbabwe attended the training. Dr Raiva thanked ASLM for their efforts to strengthen laboratory networks and expressed his excitement that the participants will use the acquired knowledge from the course to optimise Zimbabwe’s diagnostic network. Mr Ndlovu thanked the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health for allowing the pilot of the course there and for continued collaboration to strengthen laboratory networks for quality patient care.

Mrs Norah Vere, Quality Officer at the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory, and the Zimbabwe LabCoP team lead noted the opportunity for the TWG to gain a deeper understanding of the network systems that must be in place for a well-functioning laboratory network. Therefore, at the end of this six-month course, with a built-in mentorship component, the TWG is expected to: contribute to the development and optimisation of the laboratory network in Zimbabwe, using evidence-based approaches; contribute to the implementation of the tiered-laboratory-networks planning cycles such as preparing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating tiered-laboratory network-related national laboratory policies, strategies and action plans; and more.

The training also has a trainer-of-trainers component to train future course trainers. The first trainer-of-trainers batch includes nine ASLM staff and two Zimbabwe TWG members. The next iteration of the training will occur in mid-April in Malawi.