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CPHL begins a process to develop NHLS Bio-risk Policy

On 29th – 30th January 2014, the Biosafety and Bio-security unit of CPHL with support from CDC organized the National Health Laboratories Bio-risk workshop at Imperial Royale Hotel, Kampala.

The event that was opened by the Head, CPHL Mr. Steven Aisu attracted over 15 participants from AHPC, NTRL, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, DLFPs, Laboratory focal persons from IPs and CPHL. It was facilitated by technical consultants in bio-risk led by Mr. Moses Musiitwa and aimed at developing a detailed laboratory Bio-risk Policy (against which bio-risk guidelines will be reviewed) for operations in the National Health Laboratories services.

This process is mainly guided by draft bio-security policy of May 2013 and the Biotechnology/Biosafety draft bill of 2011 all by National Council for Science and Technology. Specifically, participants brainstormed and identified areas in the National Health laboratory work that pose safety and security challenges and most of these areas are not addressed in many documents including the mentioned two documents.

A task force of 12 members including CPHL top management was established to engage the Minister of Health with the aim of having these key issues included in the documents that are in advanced stages of approval and also to continue to spear head the process of developing the NHLS Bio-risk Policy. 

By Mr. Amato M. Ojwiya