Characteristics of Malawi HIV Molecular Laboratories Selected for Mentorship to Achieve ISO 15189 Accreditation
| # | Laboratory Type | Sample Type | Accreditation Scope | Testing Platform | Staff, No. | Distance From Lilongwe/ Central Lab, km | Star Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cohort 1 | |||||||
| 1 | Public/NGO | DBS/plasma | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 8 | 60 km | 3 |
| 2 | Public/NGO | DBS/plasma | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 8 | 43 km | 3 |
| 3 | Reference | DBS | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 14 | 0 km | 4 |
| 4 | Private/public | DBS/plasma | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 12 | 20 km | 3 |
| 5 | District hospitala | DBS | HIV viral load, EID, TB, chemistry, serology, blood banking, and hematology | GeneXpert | 8 | 0 km | 3 |
| Cohort 2 | |||||||
| 1 | Central hospital | DBS | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 8 | 55 km | 4 |
| 2 | Central hospital | DBS | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 8 | 46 km | 1 |
| 3 | Central hospital | DBS/plasma | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 8 | 7 km | 4 |
| 4 | Central hospital | DBS/plasma | HIV viral load | Abbott m2000 | 8 | 10 km | 3 |
| 5 | District hospitala | DBS | HIV viral load, EID, TB | GeneXpert | 8 | 0 km | 4 |
Abbreviations: DBS, dried blood sample; EID, early infant diagnosis; NGO, nongovernmental organization; ISO, International Organization for Standardization; SLIPTA, Stepwise Laboratory Quality Improvement Process Towards Accreditation.
a This laboratory was part of both cohort 1 and cohort 2, however, it reduced its scope for cohort 2.