This support to the National Reference Laboratory included procurement and installation of laboratory equipment and training and mentoring of laboratory personnel working at the biorepository/sample archiving laboratory.
At the National Reference Laboratory, IHVN has also set up and is managing a functional Mega laboratory for viral load and Infant Virological Testing. We are also supporting the process of getting the mega laboratory accredited to ISO 151 189
We established a Bio-Safety Level 3 Laboratory for diagnosis of Multi-Drug Resistant TB at the National TB Leprosy Training Center in Zaria in collaboration with the National Tuberculosis Leprosy Control Program (NTBLTCP) for TB diagnostic services. The laboratory supports the surveillance for drug-resistant tuberculosis. With support from the Global Fund, eight TB reference laboratories have also upgraded and activated.
The Institute oversees the activities at a network of three biorepositories in Abuja, Jos and Zaria all equipped to promote safe handling, receipt, processing, storage, inventory control, packaging and distribution of biological specimens, tissues and isolates (TB) with the goals of supporting research activities, public health evaluation studies, clinical trials and HIV associated malignant studies.
We also support laboratories to implement and maintain a Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement Program. This includes continuous monitoring, establishing both internal and external quality assessment programs (proficiency testing, audits, retesting), capacity building and laboratory accreditation. Plateau State Human Virology Research Center (PLASVIREC) laboratory achieved ISO 15189 in recognition of its international standard in 2018 while in 2019, National Quality Assessment Laboratory (NEQAL) Saye – Zaria, a Medical Laboratory Science Council of Nigeria facility, supported by IHVN has achieved ISO 17043 International accreditation, the first of its kind in West Africa.
IHVN has continuously supported blood safety in Nigeria in collaboration with the National Blood Transfusion Service(NBTS). We promote voluntary donor recruitment and blood screening against transfusion transmissible infections of HIV, syphilis, Hepatitis B and C.
