Provincial and district health teams and individual champions in laboratory services have expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health (MOH) for honouring their efforts through the 2025 Rapid Testing Continuous Quality Improvement (RTCQI) Awards.

The awards, presented during the Annual RTCQI Review Meeting, celebrated resilience, innovation, and dedication to strengthening HIV rapid testing services across Zambia.

Judy Mwanza, who represented Kafue District, received the Certificate of Excellence in HIV Testing on behalf of her district. She expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Health and CIDRZ for the recognition, describing the award as both humbling and inspiring. She noted that it reflected the collective dedication of her team while motivating them to continue striving for excellence in the fight against HIV.

Meanwhile, Douglas Jabulane Moyo, Lusaka Provincial Lead Medical Laboratory Coordinator at the Lusaka Provincial Health Office, described the moment as deeply motivating. He emphasised that the recognition validated his team’s hard work and strengthened their resolve to continue upholding the highest standards in HIV testing services.

“Our province was honoured for exemplary performance in the Rapid Test Continuous Quality Improvement Initiative, and our district, Kafue, received recognition for outstanding achievement in Tester-Based HIV Proficiency Testing. We are immensely proud of the diligence and commitment that led to this national accolade,” he said.

On the other hand, Luapula Province, recipient of the Most Improved RTCQI Performer Award, celebrated what was described as a victory for resilience and determination. Principal Biomedical Scientist Liteta Mushokela explained that despite facing many obstacles, teamwork and passion made it possible for the province to achieve such remarkable improvement.

The 2025 RTCQI awards celebrated provincial, district, and individual achievements in HIV testing quality. Luapula Province won Most Improved RTCQI Performer, while Southern and Lusaka Provinces received Outstanding Provincial Performance awards. Eastern Province excelled in proficiency testing, and Zimba and Kafue Districts were recognised for leadership in tester enrolment and performance.

Muchinga and Western Provinces earned the Resilience and Commitment Award, and Ms Dailes Nsofwa and Dr Hamakwa Mantina were honoured for Lifetime Contribution to RTCQI.