ASLM and IBMS announce laboratory skills and laboratory management project
The Institute of Biomedical Science (IBMS) and the African Society of Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), to work towards providing education and professional development for laboratory biomedical science in Africa.
The IBMS aims to promote and develop the role of biomedical science within healthcare to deliver the best possible service for patient care and safety. It does this by supporting the biomedical science workforce in education and training, improving standards of practice, representing the profession and working with organisations to improve laboratory service.
The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) is an international, pan-African, independent, not-for-profit organization based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The main functions of ASLM are the provision of Technical Assistance (TA) towards accreditation; training, certification, and networking of laboratories; and research and publication opportunities to medical laboratory professionals across the African continent. Among many other areas, ASLM’s laboratory capacity building programs have focused on workforce development.
The MOU launches a pilot project, providing African laboratories with professional educational opportunities. This venture aims to support the development of sustainable management, systems and to establish a baseline to:
• Build a better skilled and more effective laboratory workforce
• Make laboratory quality improvement and accreditation commonplace
• Build performance, transparency and accountability, and the uptake of good practice
• Reduce reliance on external assistance
• Establish regional education benchmarks for laboratories
• Provide vital development skills for technical laboratory managers to professionally oversee laboratories
The IBMS is pleased to begin this partnership with the ASLM. Based on key qualifications and membership of a leading international professional association, this project is the first of its kind in African laboratories. This 18 month project is predicted to create new partnerships and establish a valuable collaboration of biomedical science professionals transcending geographic boundaries.