Strengthening laboratory services in the Republic of Moldova

Updated 26 September 2016

The Better-Labs-for-Better-Health initiative began in the Republic of Moldova in 2013 to improve the quality of laboratory services, focusing on two main components:

• developing a national health laboratory policy and strategic plan; and
• improving in-country curricula to train staff in modern laboratory techniques, laboratory quality, bio safety and management.

Since then a number of milestones have been achieved.

• A National Laboratory Working Group (NLWG) was established
• The NLWG conducted two policy-development workshops in 2013, which resulted in the development of the draft National Laboratory Policy for the Republic of Moldova in February 2014
• Four strategic planning workshops were held in 2014 and 2015, which resulted in the preparation of a draft National Laboratory Strategic Plan. This is being finalized by the NLWG.
• Members of NLWG were trained in the stepwise implementation of a laboratory quality-management system using the WHO Laboratory Quality Management System (LQMS) Training Toolkit and Laboratory Quality Stepwise Implementation tool (LQSI)
• A training-of-trainers course in Biorisk Management was conducted, with subsequent roll out of training in biosafety for staff in national and regional laboratories
• Two Training–of-Trainers courses were conducted in Laboratory Management and Leadership, and Laboratory Quality Management
• An assessment of national teaching curricula for laboratory staff was undertaken, with recommendations made to key stakeholders
• A component on laboratory management was developed for the curriculum of the Masters of Public Health (MPH) of the School of Public Health in Chisinau, for the development of competencies of public health managers. The module was developed based on materials created by WHO to train laboratory managers.