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| Reference: | 3849 |
| Country: | Armenia |
| Multiple country event: | No |
| Region: | EURO |
| City: | Yerevan |
| Start date: | 12 December 2011 |
| End date: | 20 December 2011 |
| Estimated duration: | 7 (seven) working days |
| Status: | Cancelled - Annulé |
| | (The mission was cancelled) |
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| Title: | TB Laboratory Network Specialist- International Consultancy |
| Type: | Mission |
| Terms of Reference: | Interested persons please contact: Dr Armen Hayrapetyan (ntp-arm@ntp.am) and CC: ghukasyan@who.am and tbteam@who.int
BACKGROUND
TB treatment and control require prompt and reliable laboratory services. The base of any TB program is strong laboratory services. Laboratory confirmation of a TB case often depends on a network of laboratories providing testing for diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of therapy outcomes. However, information is limited regarding the capabilities, capacities, and interactions of the TB laboratories at marz and local levels and in the private sectors. The precise contribution of each to TB laboratory services within a jurisdiction to the national pool is unknown.
The working of the laboratories a network is also not well understood. Referral of specimens and cultures can lead to delays in testing, reporting, and treatment initiation for TB patients with smear-positive or smear-negative/culture-positive results (24).
The country has established the national reference laboratory (NRL) in Yerevan with the capacity to conduct the culture and sensitivity testing. The country is also planning to introduce the gene expert. However the role of NRL needs to be understood, in establishing the links with the other laboratories and its role as the principle guiding agency for the quality maintenance in the country.
The country also is conducting the external quality checks but it needs to be understood the role of the different labs in conducting the checks and how the NRL itself is checked for the quality status.
The National TB program is therefore seeking the assistance of an international laboratory expert to under take the following activities.
GOAL
Main goal of the assignment is a strengthening of the TB laboratory network capacity in Armenia.
SCOPE OF WORK
1. Asses the capacity of the peripheral labs in terms of work load, reasons for the existing work-load and principle types of patients being assessed.
2. Quality of sputum microscopy in the peripheral labs.
3. Status of specimen management at the peripheral and the central level.
4. Status of lab networking and it role/contribution to the national TB lab systems and case finding.
5. Capacity of national TB reference Lab (NRL) as the central agency for establishing and maintaining the quality of lab networking.
6. Suggest measures to improve the role of the peripheral lab working and improvement in sample handling.
7. Most importantly suggest measures to develop/strengthen the Lab networking, with a sketch of a networking design and what in terms of logistics, skills, systems and data base needs to be introduced/strengthen.
8. Scope of decentralization of culture services as a part lab networking.
DURATION
The task will be over a total of 7 working days.
DELIVERABLES
The Consultant is expected to submit
1. An assessment report with a summary, of
- the status of lab functioning
- lab networking
- role and capacity of NRL in terms of lab networking.
2. Provide a sketch of a networking design and what in terms of logistics, skills, systems and data base needs to be introduced/strengthen
REQUIREMENTS
The candidate should be an established expert in the field of TB laboratory and TB lab networking. Must have multi-country, especially of post soviet countries, exposure. Should be fluent in spoken and written English.
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| Training Opportunity: | Yes |
| Website: | |
| Purpose 1: | Laboratory strengthening |
| Purpose 2: | |
| Purpose 3: | |
| Other purpose: | |
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| Entered by: | WHO/CO |
| Partner 1: | NTP |
| Partner 2: | |
| Partner 3: | |
| Contact name: | Dr Armen Hayrapetyan |
| Contact email: | ntp-arm@ntp.am |
| Other agencies: | |
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| Funding needs: | Yes |
| Funding source: | NA |
| Other funding source: | |
| Available funding: | $ 0 |
| Funding gap: | $ 0 |
| Global Fund reference: | |
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| Comments: | The request for Technical Assistance is coming from the National TB Programme of Armenia.
The exact dates are not defined yet; it would be desirable that the assistance is carried out in December 2011, or in February 2012 at the latest.
Please email Dr Armen Hayrapetyan (ntp-arm@ntp.am) and CC: gghukasyan@who.am and tbteam@who.int |
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There are no experts (roster) associated with this event. There are no experts (non-roster) associated with this event.
Date Created: 26 October 2011
Entered By: Armenia
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