Twelve laboratories received equipment and hardware to enhance their technical facilities during the ceremony, which was attended by the directors of health services at the selected laboratories, laboratory quality control managers, administrative authorities at the ministry of health and biology professionals in Togo.

The award ceremony was organized following the support provided between 2017 and 2022 for 52 laboratories to implement a Quality Management System (QMS), helping the most deserving laboratories, selected during the audit, to support best practices and make up for the lack of critical equipment.

The ceremony was organized with the backing of the French Development Agency and the Mérieux Foundation as part of the RESAOLAB project and was held at the Ministry of Health in Togo. The opening speech was given by Prof. Ameyo Dorkenoo, head of the Laboratories Division. Dr. Gnatoulma Katawa, national coordinator of the Quality Mentoring program, presented the process for selecting the laboratories in need and the allocation of equipment. This was then followed by the official handover of equipment and hardware. The ceremony concluded with speeches by Dr. Cécile Bobilier, a representative of the recipient laboratories, and Dr. Kokou Wotobe, the Secretary General for health.

The Laboratories Division (LD) at the Ministry of Health in Togo, with the support of partners including the World Bank, the Mérieux Foundation and the CDC in Atlanta, USA, has undertaken a series of projects since 2010 aiming to bring the medical biology sector up to international standards.

The mentoring approach was chosen to introduce laboratories to the quality system and improve their technical practices. External Quality Assessment (EQA) campaigns highlighted the requirement for additional biomedical equipment. A lack of equipment can limit the scope of the analyses carried out and restrict the care provided for patients.

To support these efforts, the LD of the Ministry of Health thus offered to provide biomedical equipment to laboratories that performed well in the latest 2022 audit, through the RESAOLAB project and with the financial support of the Mérieux Foundation.

About RESAOLAB3

A system of medical biology laboratories providing high-quality services is an essential requirement for improving population health. RESAOLAB – the West African Network of Biomedical Analysis Laboratories – is the first regional program in West Africa to provide a response to this public health concern. Designed with West African healthcare stakeholders, it takes into consideration all the factors affecting the laboratories’ governance and performance. Its objective is to improve the quality of medical biology services in these seven West African countries, by reinforcing their laboratory systems with a multifaceted regional approach.

Since its launch in 2009, RESAOLAB has enabled the deployment of major programs for ongoing training activities, the construction and provision of equipment for training and quality assurance laboratories and the introduction of epidemiological surveillance systems.

The network has been heavily involved in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis from 2020 onwards. Thanks to an additional grant awarded by the AFD (Agence Française de Développement), RESAOLAB made it possible to develop response strategies for laboratories, by drawing on its expertise to support national efforts.

RESAOLAB in Togo

Togo is one of the 7 country members of the West African Network of clinical laboratories (RESAOLAB) created by the Mérieux Foundation and the Ministries of Health of the participating countries. As part of this network, it participates annually in training, laboratory supervision, quality assurance and external quality assessment activities.

In accordance with RESAOLAB’s objectives to provide member countries with laboratory management structures,  Togo has reinforced its Laboratory Division, under the Health and Social Protection Ministry. It was provided  with infrastructure and equipment, with the Continuing Education and External Quality Assessment Units, within the new building of the Directorate of Pharmacy, Medicines and Laboratories inaugurated in 2017.

We also provided 15 public medical biology laboratories with IT equipment for the use of Labbook, and renovated the practical work rooms of the Advanced School of Biological and Food Technology and the Faculty of Health Sciences.