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American Journal of Public Health Cites QA Project Polio Report

A recent article in the American Journal of Public Health referred to a report by the QA Project, "The Global Polio Laboratory Network: A Model for Good Laboratory Practice," by Catherine MacAulay and Mahadeo P. Verma.

The Journal article, published in January 2002, was "Impact of Targeted Programs on Health Systems: A Case Study of the Polio Eradication Initiative," by Benjamin Loevinsohn, The World Bank; Bruce Aylward, Global Poliomyelitis Eradication Initiative, Department of Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization; Robert Steinglass, BASICS; Ellyn Ogden, Office of Health and Nutrition, U.S. Agency for International Development; Tracey Goodman, Expanded Programme on Immunization, World Health Organization; and Bjorn Melgaard, Department of Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization.

The Journal article highlighted several field studies and reports that studied the impact of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Polio Eradication Initiative on health systems, including the QA Project’s Global Polio Laboratory Network (GPLN) report.

The QA Project’s GLPN report was developed in response to a request from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to demonstrate how the Global Polio Laboratory Network could support other global public health initiatives and serve as a model for public health programs.

A key purpose of the QA Project’s study, published in November 2001, was to identify the quality principles that contributed to the GPLN’s success both in creating a network that demonstrated good laboratory practice and determined whether these principles could be applied to other health systems.

The Global Polio Laboratory Network provides diagnostic virological support through regional and national laboratories around the world for WHO’s Polio Eradication Initiative. The Initiative is the linchpin for effective worldwide polio eradication.

Major findings of the QA Project report concluded that:

  • The GPLN model is an excellent example of a highly successful, focused accreditation system
  • The GPLN uses a quality improvement model that is similar to what the QA Project uses and advocates
  • This model is one strategy for scaling-up such initiatives, such as quality assurance through focused accreditation, and through linkages to a worldwide United Nations program

The American Journal of Public Health article concluded that laboratories in the GPLN increased their capabilities significantly as a result of their participation in the network, and thus represent a strong example of how the Polio Eradication Initiative strengthened the general health system.

View the QA Project’s GPLN report.

To view the American Journal of Public Health, January 2002 issue, visit their website at: http://www.ajph.org/content/vol92/issue1/#ETHICS_AND_PUBLIC_HEALTH.

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The Quality Assurance Project (QAP) is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development
(USAID) under Contract Number GPH-C-00-02-00004-00.