2^nd Round Pre-Service Training on Laboratory  Antiretroviral Therapy (ART) Monitoring and Integrated Disease Laboratory Diagnosis Has Been Conducted by The School of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Faculty of Medicine from October 10- 31, 2011.

Antiretroviral treatment is the main stay for reduction of mortality and morbidity among people living with HIV. As the utilization of antiretroviral therapy (ART) expands the development of some treatment failure is inevitable. Quality medical laboratory services can identify this treatment failure, as early as possible to safeguard people living with HIV from different HIV/AIDS related complications. Some of the laboratory tests are like counting CD4 positive cells,(cells helping body’s immune system to regulate), measuring level of different biochemicals in the blood (help to determine the degree of drug induced toxicity), and proactively diagnosing diseases like Tuberculosis and opportunistic infections (OI).

Major problem facing the Ethiopian clinical laboratories, like most other developing counties, is lack of enough qualified laboratory personnel working at ART laboratories. Despite continuous on job refreshment training organized by the federal ministry of Health, due to the rapid expansion of health facility in the country and continues update of ART laboratories, alternate strategy was sought.     

One of the strategies is to offer training for graduating students before they actually go to their working environment. Those trainings are aimed to ensure quality health service providers particularly on anti-retro viral therapy monitoring (ART) and other integrated disease diagnosis laboratories.

In order to realize this strategy, Ethiopian Heath and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI) through the financial support from CDC-Ethiopian, has designed a project to support school of medical laboratory sciences, faculty of medicine, Addis Ababa University.

Thus, after signing MoU between EHNRI and Faculty of Medicine, the school of medical laboratory sciences was given the assignment to organize and conduct pre-placement training on ART monitoring and integrated diseases in collaboration with EHNRI technical staffs from October 10 – October 31, 2011.

The objectives of the training were to update and develop the trainees’ theoretical knowledge and technical skill on:

o    Appropriate use of Flowcytometry (for counting CD4 positive cells), auto- clinical chemistry analyzers (for determination of several biochemicals used to assess drug induced toxicity) & hematological analyzers.

o    Standard laboratory procedures for the diagnosis of TB, malaria, fungal and parasitic Opportunistic infections.

o    To acquaint trainees with the overall Good Clinical Laboratory Practices (GCLP) of ART laboratory.

Twenty regular and 36 extension undergraduate (BSc) final year students were involved. As part of supporting and developing partnership with other universities, four invited faculties from Wellega and Dessie Universities were also trained. Overall 60 trainees were participated during the pre-service training. 

The theoretical and practical trainings were conducted for a total of 12, and 7 days, respectively, which involved more than 30 trainers. Academic staffs of the school, experts from EHNRI and service engineers from instrument vendors have been engaged.   

All the training automations (Flowcytometer, Auto-clinical chemistry and auto-hematology analyzers) were bought by CDC-Ethiopia a year ago through the school’s initiative taken by some dedicated instructors (like Dr Aster Tsegaye, former director of the school and currently Chief Executive Officer of Black Lion Hospital).  Most of the training manuals and reagents used for the training were prepared at the school’s laboratory. The fact that the school compound is located within the National research laboratory (EHNRI) has helped to use some of the institute’s facility.    

At the end of the training, trainees were given certificate of successful completion by invited guests from CDC-Ethiopian and EHNRI.

During the certification event, which was held at the school compound, the school director, Mr. Samuel Kinde Birru after explaining that the school’s tremendous achievement in producing qualified laboratory professionals for the last four decades in the country, the director has briefly explained the overall cascade of the pre-service training to the invited guests. According to Mr.Samuel, who is also ex-student of the school in 1990 E.C, the school has conducted such training for the second time. Owing to the increasing need of lab personnel capable of working at ART laboratory, the school has a plan to strengthen the pre- service trainers’ pool of public and private universities found at the periphery.

One of the invited guests, Dr Gudeta Tibesso, Director, regional laboratory capacity building directorate-EHNRI, described, “over the last six years significant achievements have been considered after federal ministry of health has delegated EHNRI to support the national laboratory program”. One of the components of the national master plan comprises of human resource development. Thus, this pre-service training was aimed to familiarize new graduate with the current laboratory manuals so that they can directly join the laboratory’s routine activity. According to Dr Gudeta, currently most of the hospitals in the country have adopted quality management system, which is big success in Ethiopia. At the end, Dr Gudeta duly acknowledged CDC’s role in PEPFAR and the US global health initiative, and the commitment of AAU faculty. He said “EHNRI is very interested to work more closely with AAU”.

CDC-Ethiopia Deputy Director, Ms. Dawn Broussard during the certification event stressed, after congratulating the unique trainees, “you may not receive many thanks from your patients, but the work you do is very important..”. Ms. Dawn Broussard has further said that as the funds appear to make improvement, CDC will be motivated to invest more in the country and in infrastructure and human resources related to laboratory services…”.

Dr Aster Tsegaye, CEO of Black lion hospital, said to the trainees during the closing remark, “medical laboratory sciences is a dynamic science, you have to be a lifelong learner”. Dr Aster has remarked that during development of national health policies universities should be the first to be contacted. This ensures new graduates to be well aware of updated protocols and guidelines before they actually go for the actual working environment. Such approach, swift the journey towards tackling laboratory related problems of the country.

Director of the school, Mr. Samuel, has finally said that the active participation and good team spirit of his colleagues had helped him to fulfill the assignment. Thus, he acknowledged his colleagues and faculty officials for their endless support.

At the end of the event, the guests of honor have visited the laboratory rooms. They have expressed their due appreciation towards all the academic and administrative staffs of the faculty for discharging such an incredible assignment in such a brief period of time.

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