Guide for the stepwise laboratory quality improvement process towards accreditation (SLIPTA) in the WHO African Region — Revision 2
Laboratory services form an essential component of health services and require adequate capacity for the purposes of care, epidemiological surveillance, disease prevention and control, research and other public health-related activities. The available data demonstrate that in most countries in the WHO African Region, laboratory services do not meet basic needs, mostly at intermediate and peripheral levels, largely due to the lack, or inadequacy, of existing laboratory systems. Lessons learnt from the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa in 2014-2015 and other major public health events, as well as the findings from Joint External Evaluations (JEE) under the International Health Regulations (IHR) revealed the urgent need to reform the laboratory sector in the Region.