The CIDRZ Laboratory is among the busiest and most sophisticated laboratories in the region. The high-throughput laboratory provides essential services for more than 125,000 patients each year.
Patients receiving care at CIDRZ-supported sites receive all tests for free, including complete blood counts, CD4+ counts, viral load testing, syphilis tests, liver and kidney function tests, and various electrolytes. The lab also provides infant HIV diagnosis (via HIV DNA PCR) for 4 of Zambia’s 9 provinces, in support of national efforts to increase the number of children accessing HIV care and treatment.In 2007, the Lab added a BD BACTEC 960 MGIT to provide capacity for rapid tuberculosis culture, and we are conducting research to evaluate low-cost flourescent adaptors for light microscopes, to increase the effectiveness of TB diagnosis at remote provincial hospitals and clinics.
Specialists from the CIDRZ Central Lab support a large network of rural clinic labs, procuring and maintaining equipment, supplying reagents, training staff, and providing ongoing quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC). We also assist remote clinics with transport logistics to deliver specimens to the closest referral laboratory and return results to the clinic. As a research laboratory with projects funded by the National Institute of Health (NIH), the CIDRZ Central Lab participates in rigorous external monitoring processes. NIH Division of AIDS-sanctioned Standard Operating Procedures are in place for all laboratory procedures, and QA/QC technologists monitor all aspects of quality, ensuring adherence to protocol, overseeing quarterly proficiency testing on all instruments, and implementing recommendations from external monitors.
