Museveni gets Africa award for good lab services

The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) has recognised President Museveni as its champion for improving health laboratory services in Africa. 

The award, the Health Ministry said, was received on his behalf on November 5 by the Permanent Secretary, Dr Diana Atwiine, in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, during the ASLM special convention on diagnostics. 

Mr Museveni in his acceptance speech appreciated the ASLM for “recognising our humble efforts, towards achieving the goal of quality laboratory services for all.”

“According to the World Health Organisation, 70 percent of health decisions are influenced by diagnostic results. This fact underscores the critical role of correct diagnosis, in fighting diseases. If the diagnosis is wrong, the prescription cannot be right; and if the prescription is not right, the patient cannot be cured,” the President noted.

He said the country has built capacity in laboratory services and this he said, has helped the country combat pandemics. He also said laboratories in Uganda continue to support other countries on the continent and beyond in disease surveillance and detection. 

“In the early 1980s, the spread of the HIV/Aids pandemic was aided by the lack of testing. When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, we were better equipped to combat its spread, because of rapid surveillance and testing measures,” he added. 

“Our Ministry of Health through the Specialised Laboratory Department, the National Health Laboratories and Diagnostics Services (NHLDS), is supporting several continental programmes aimed at health systems strengthening,” he added. Details in his speech indicate that Supra-National T.B. 

Reference Laboratory has been supporting all countries in upper Sub-Saharan Africa. The President also said Uganda is currently hosting the Global Fund – East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA) International Laboratory Systems Strengthening (ILSS) Project. 

“Through this project, the Ministry of Health has been capacity building for the laboratory sectors of 23 countries – sharing our infrastructure and skills in calibration, PT panel production and creating more health laboratory centres of excellence on the continent,” he added.

Figures from the National Health Laboratory and Diagnostic Services, indicate that up to 15 health laboratories acquired international accreditation in 2023, pushing the total number of accredited health laboratories to 71.

Mr Nqobile Ndlovu, the ASLM chief executive officer, said: “By bringing together the region’s policymakers, laboratory experts, and development partners, we aim to forge sustainable strategies that will enable diagnostics to serve as a cornerstone of resilient health systems in Africa.”