National Quality Assurance Programme for rural and provincial laboratory services in Papua New Guinea

The expansion of laboratory services in Papua New Guinea in recent times, particularly at the rural health centre level, in support of public health laboratory activities has stressed the need to monitor the technical performance of laboratory workers. With this in mind, a National Quality Assurance Programme (NQAP) was devised following a successful trial in the Momase Region in 1990. The NQAP has expanded rapidly and met with good response and high levels of achievement by participating laboratories nation-wide. Future plans are to develop a National Quality Assurance Committee and work towards an accreditation scheme in Papua New Guinea.