Clinical Laboratory TB Services Unit

Our activities include;

• Mentoring and provision of technical support to laboratory scientists on the use of BSL2, BSL3 and Molecular Biology Laboratories for diagnosis and monitoring of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis patients. Diagnosis is done using advanced TB detection (iLED Fluorescence TB Smear Microscopy, tuberculosis Solid & Liquid Culture and Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST).
• Co-ordinating and linking of the tuberculosis laboratories in the country to the WHO/Supra National Reference Laboratory network (SRLN) in Milan, Italy.
• Supporting National and Zonal Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories to achieve international accreditation. This involves training and mentoring to develop and implement policies, manuals, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and forms.
• Participating as a member of the NTBLCP TB Laboratory Working Group
• Maintaining and providing reagent/consumables to National and Zonal Tuberculosis Reference laboratories, State and Private Tuberculosis Reference Laboratories and participating in quarterly supervisory visits.
• Providing technical assistance and trainings on; advanced tuberculosis culture and drug-susceptibility testing; advanced tuberculosis molecular methods; tuberculosis smear microscopy (Ziehl Neelsen and Fluorescence); HIV diagnosis; and monitoring of Good Laboratory Practice; Line Probe Assay; GeneXpert and TB panel slides preparation. This assistance is given to other non-governmental organizations/Implementing Partners and the Government of Nigeria.
• Coordinating laboratory monitoring of patients on tuberculosis treatment in the community and treatment centers. We ensure that laboratory tests are conducted as scheduled and results placed in patient’s folder, there is timely release of patient’s results from reference laboratories and there is a weekly tracker of patient’s culture and LPA tests.
• Participating in and supervising studies like, National TB Prevalence Survey, National MDR-TB Survey etc.
• Collaborating with the NTBLCP to prepare panels for proficiency testing at health facilities with GeneXpert machines and at TB Zonal Reference laboratories.
• Participating in the development of NTBLCP documents such as National Workers Manual, Fluorescence Microscopy Guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures.

Unit contact email: labtb@ihvnigeria.org