In Bolivia, during the year 2000, a project was begun to establish HIV sentinel surveillance sites in the cities of El Alto, Cochabamba and Santa Cruz with the purpose of verifying the tendency in HIV prevalence in specific populations.
In this project the importance of institutional coordination was demonstrated, and carried out between the decision-making levels of the Ministry of Health, USAID/Bolivia and the technical assistance providers to define the implementation of the Project for five years.
Additionally, this experience showed, on one hand, the importance of signing formal agreements between the participating institutions, to formalize both their participation and the joint programming to be carried out. These agreements assure the provision of needed resources, such as reagents, in sufficient quantities.
The importance of quality control for laboratory tests was highlighted in the evaluation of the studies’ results. This was carried out periodically by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.A), at the HIV-AIDS laboratory of the National Institute of Health Laboratory (INLASA), in La Paz, Bolivia, at the Blood Center (Hemocentro) of São Paulo, Brazil, at the laboratory of the Center for Tropical Disease (CENETROP) in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, and at the laboratory of the Bolivian-Japanese Technical School of Public Health, in Cochabamba, Bolivia.
The results obtained during 2000 show the importance of the process that was initiated. The results obtained during the first cycle of observation, now complete, were analyzed and activities were programmed for 2001.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant in this session will: 1. Know the importance of developing inter-institutional coordination at different levels of the health system 2. Know the importance of participative programming with all involved institutions 3. Know the importance of having quality control measures in laboratories
Keywords: Collaboration, Quality
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Management Sciences for Health
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: employment