In collaboration with Australia Indonesia Health Security Partnership (AIHSP) and The Indonesia Health University Network (INDOHUN), the NRL Scientific Consulting and Training (SCT) team have been implementing a laboratory capacity building and strengthening program in Indonesia. 

The program focuses on strengthening the implementation of quality management systems (QMS) in primary health, district health and provincial health laboratories in 5 provinces. The goal is to improve the quality of testing in these laboratories and equip them to provide reliable diagnostic testing for both clinical diagnosis and public health surveillance purposes.  

NRL trainers Innocent Mupunga Vee Armstrong presenting a workshop on Laboratory Quality Management Systems (QMS) in Yogyakarta in Q1 2024. Participants of the QMS training. 

In late January, the SCT held the first face-to-face training workshop in Yogyakarta over 5 days. The objectives were to provide an overview of laboratory QMS, focusing on its use in identifying and managing risks to the quality and accuracy of test results and outlining the principles behind the key QMS activities that form the foundation for the QMS. The team also visited some of the laboratories to gain firsthand appreciation of the scope of work, workflows, available resources, and challenges faced by the laboratories.

The workshop was attended by quality champions selected from participating laboratories; observers from the reference laboratories, Ministry of Health, and the Health Training Centre (CILOTO); and representatives from both INDOHUN and AIHSP.

The team appreciates the logistical and technical support provided by both AIHSP and INDOHUN to make the workshop a success.