Date: From November 2021 to March 2022
Countries: N/A

The WHO AMR division responsible for coordinating the global AMR response has Surveillance, Evidence and Laboratory Strengthening (SEL) as a key workstream within the Surveillance, Prevention and Control department. Within the SEL Unit, the Laboratory Strengthening and Integrated Surveillance Team supports countries through the development of tools for fostering microbiological laboratory best practices. Sustainable quality microbiological diagnosis largely depends on a stable supply chain that assures good quality laboratory consumables for the microbiological diagnosis and detection of AMR.  

In line with this, IQLS is providing services for the review of microbiological laboratory consumables essential for AMR diagnosis.

The mission of IQLS experts is to define the criteria and specifications required for the performance evaluation of automated and semi-automated blood culture systems and consumables with worldwide distribution and international certification, and to develop a list of quality assured consumables for blood culture diagnostics. The information thus gathered will facilitate the SEL unit for implementation of best laboratory practices in microbiology.

The work is performed in close collaboration with the SEL unit and the WHO AMR Surveillance and Quality Assessment Collaborating Centres Network 

The project will be carried out in 2 steps: 

  • The first step will be to define the process for the evaluation of automated and semi-automated blood culture systems and consumables with worldwide distribution and international certification. Deliverable 1 comprising of the definition criteria and specifications required for performance evaluation of blood culture systems was submitted on December 31, 2021. 
  • The second step will be to develop a list of quality assured consumables for blood culture diagnostics.

Activities were started in November 2021 and will continue through 2022.

The Technical Referent for this project is Dr. Shruti Malik, collaborating with Dr.Erika Ornelas-Eusebio and Dr. Yiyé A. Nagalo, with Ms. Marie Gouriadec as Project Manager.

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