National Health Laboratory Services Policy 2021 – 2025

The National Health Laboratory Services Policy 2021 – 2025 is a national sectoral policy of The Gambia. Its main goal is to put in place high-quality health laboratory services at all levels of healthcare delivery across The Gambia.
This National Health Laboratory Service Policy aims to establish authority and direction for the development of the required capacity of laboratory services and, therefore defines standards for all aspects of health laboratory practice in The Gambia. The document further provides to increase the capacity to effectively and efficiently manage laboratory services across The Gambia in the context of decentralisation; to provide the required number of staff with the necessary qualifications, skill sets, competence and motivation to deliver high-quality laboratory services across The Gambia; to promote integrity, dignity and appropriate conduct in laboratory practices at all times and all levels; to provide appropriate, functional laboratory equipment and sufficient consumables and supplies to guarantee uninterrupted laboratory service delivery at all levels of healthcare; to have quality laboratory services at all health system levels, in order to support effective patient management, disease surveillance, epidemic investigation, research, and other specialised services; to improve laboratory performance and disease control, in line with the national health policy and strategy; to institute appropriately designed and standardised laboratory structures that meet the specific needs of each level of health facility; to mobilise and advocate the provision of sufficient financial and logistical resources required to facilitate the delivery of continuous and high-quality health laboratory services.
Further matters covered by this Policy include: establishing a quality management system in health facilities towards the accreditation of laboratories; monitoring and evaluating laboratory service delivery at all levels of healthcare; establishing the Gambia Medical Laboratory Council for the regulation of laboratory personnel and institutions across the country; adopting best practices that comply with relevant and appropriate national and international laboratory information management systems; promoting networking among health facilities and public and private laboratories and all other relevant stakeholders; instituting a committee to ensure the accountability and transparency of laboratory services across all levels of healthcare in liaison with the project coordination unit and National Laboratory Technical Working Group; defining guidelines for laboratory biosafety, biosecurity and waste management; establishing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) policies and strategies, and monitoring the efficacy of antibiotics; implementing the National Public Health and Emergency response plan, which includes all the structures necessary for the implementation of a One Health approach and for ensuring food safety and quality.