Background
International and national treatment guidelines recommend the routine use of viral load testing for HIV treatment monitoring. Therefore, many African countries have rolled out the routine viral load testing to achieve the 3rd 90 in the UNAIDS 90-90-90 HIV treatment target. To accelerate the viral load scale up, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) is preparing to launch a new initiative named Laboratory System Strengthening Community of Practice (LabCoP).
What is ASLM’s LabCoP?
ASLM’s LabCoP is a learning network of practicing country teams working together to share information, experiences, and best practices amongst themselves through structured and interactive discussions moderated by a subject matter expert.
The ASLM’s LabCoP allows country working groups to learn from one another along the entire HIV viral load testing cascade: from creating patient and provider demand, to test request, to specimen collection, to transportation, to viral load testing, to the return of results, and finally, to the effective utilization of test results to guide patient management. ASLM’s LabCoP is not about passive learning or exchange of information and knowledge. Instead, it encourages the adoption and use of shared knowledge and experiences to bring about meaningful changes in viral load testing coverage, quality and utilization of test results for better patient management.
Why ASLM’s LabCoP?
The ASLM’s LabCoP would enable countries to build the capacity and experience to reach out professionals located in geographically dispersed places, which in turn favors larger professional networking and career development. It would also create opportunities to consult with peers and identify solutions regarding key challenges in the HIV viral load testing cascade. Moreover, the use of virtual communication technology would leverage scarce resources, including skilled human resource and time. Generally, the viral load scale up program in participating countries would benefit from the exchange of information and experiences about best laboratory practices for improved patient care. In the long term, these would contribute to a stronger laboratory system for HIV care and beyond.
Frequently Asked Questions
LabCoP is an abbreviation for Laboratory Systems Strengthening Community of Practice. It is a learning network of practicing country teams working together to create knowledge and share information, experiences and best practices amongst themselves through structured and interactive discussions moderated by a subject matter expert. ASLM’s LabCoP initially focuses on supporting the scale up of routine HIV viral load monitoring in Africa, and will address other important laboratory system components and functions at a later time. LabCoP is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), and technically supported by ICAP at Columbia University (https://icap.columbia.edu) and Extension for Community Health Outcomes (Project ECHO™) at the University of New Mexico, Health Sciences Center (https://echo.unm.edu).
Most countries in Africa have adopted the routine HIV viral load monitoring based mainly on recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO). Currently, many are in the scale up phase to achieve the third ‘90’ of the UNAIDS ‘90-90-90’ HIV treatment target, which says that 90% of people on ART will have viral suppression. The scale-up phase faces several challenges from multiple directions; however, what is still a challenge in one country may have been overcome in another and vice versa.
The ASLM’s LabCoP creates an opportunity for countries to learn from one another and fill the gaps or to showcase their successes. It would support countries to build the capacity and create opportunities to consult with peers and identify solutions regarding key challenges in the HIV viral load testing cascade. It would also enable countries to reach out professionals located in geographically dispersed places, which in turn favors larger professional networking and career development. Moreover, the use of virtual communication technology would leverage scarce resources, including skilled human resource, money and time. Overall, the viral load scale-up program in participating countries would benefit from the exchange of information and experiences related to best laboratory practices to achieve the third ‘90’ of the UNAIDS ‘90-90-90’ HIV treatment target by 2020. In the long term, LabCoP would contribute to a stronger laboratory system for improved HIV care and beyond.
LabCoP aims at fostering South-to-South exchange amongst laboratorians, clinicians, policy makers, and communities. The ultimate goal is to strengthen laboratory systems to deliver high quality viral load testing services at scale and to facilitate the utilization of test results by the clinical staff for better patient management. In particular, the ASLM’s LabCoP allows country working groups to learn from one another along the entire HIV viral load testing cascade: from creating patient and provider demand, to test request, to specimen collection, to transportation, to viral load testing, to the return of results, and finally, to the effective utilization of test results to guide patient management.
Activities in a LabCoP include a series of workshops, conferences, working group sessions, and webinars to facilitate the sharing and adoption of best practices or lessons learned. This would improve access to practical resource which would support the scale up of routine HIV viral load monitoring or improve laboratory systems. Most LabCoP knowledge and best practice sharing sessions will be conducted using a video conferencing system, such as Zoom platform.
Any PEPFAR-supported country in Africa may apply for participation in LabCoP or membership. It is voluntary and free of charge. Countries that are interested to be a member are advised to follow the following steps for registration:
- make sure that the Ministry of Health of your country supports participation in LabCoP;
- send a letter of intent signed by a senior official at the Ministry of Health to ASLM using the contact address described in 10 below;
- ASLM will assess the request and respond to you shortly;
- Once become a member, you will be invited to participate in a series of online best practice sharing sessions.
LabCoP member countries are expected to establish local country working teams. Members of the country working team are chosen voluntarily based on merit, and should be comprised of, but not restricted to, laboratorians, clinicians, representatives from the Ministry of Health, HIV infected people, community activists, program people and delegates from implementing partners. About 8-10 people are adequate enough to establish a country working team.
LabCoP country working teams are expected to constantly engage in identifying, validating, and prioritizing best practices along the entire HIV viral load testing cascade. They should also be open to peer-mentoring and be ready to learn from others. Once in a while, for example, once in every two weeks, country teams must participate in online meetings to share their best practices. The ideas shared must be converted in to practice to improve the HIV viral load testing quality or the utilization of test results to guide patient care.
LabCoP will not provide financial support to member countries. Instead, in-country working groups will receive recognition or award for best performance. In addition, implementing partners working in the area of HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, or care and support in each member country will be reached out to support the HIV VL scale up program in the host country.
The LabCoP project was launched on October 24, 2017 during a regional viral load scale up conference held in Addis Ababa.
Should you require additional information about LabCoP, or for queries related to membership, please contact the project management team.
- Legese A. Mekuria | Program Manager Viral load & Lab System Strengthening Project BMGF | African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) | Joseph Tito Street, Nega City Mall, Suite 800 | Kirkos Subcity, Kebele 08 | P.O. Box 5487 | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Phone: (+251) 11-557-1021 Ext 229 | Fax: (+251) 11-557-1030 | e-mail: lmekuria@http://localhost | http://196.188.92.253/
- Charles Kiyaga, Telephone: …………………………. ; e-mail: Ckiyaga@http://localhost,
