Environmental and Social Management Framework for Tanzania ...

equired to ensure timely and appropriate implementation and monitoring of project
activities.
1.2.3 Kenya:
Kenya has developed several policy and strategic documents including the National
Health Sector Strategic Plan II (NHSSP II), National Public Health Laboratory
(NPHL) Plan, Division of Leprosy, Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (DLTLD) Strategic
Plan, and the Draft Central Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (CTRL) Strategic
Plan, which identify laboratory services as an essential support service for the
efficient delivery of quality health services.
The Department of Disease Control within the Ministry of Medical Services has been
designated as the unit which will lead Kenya’s activities under the regional project.
The Head of Disease Prevention and Control will be the focal point for the project
and a small project support team consisting of one national project officer and two
consultants (an accountant and an operations officer) will handle day to day
operations and reporting requirements.
To ensure effective coordination with the Ministry of Medical Services (MoMS) and
surveillance program, a coordination committee will be established which will include
an officer in-charge of Disease Surveillance and Response Unit, Chief Medical Lab
Technologist from MOMS and Head of Technical Services from the National Public
health Labs Division. The department is well placed to handle this role as it is
responsible for managing three key units:
(i) Division of TB, Leprosy and other lung disease programs;
(ii) Central TB Reference Laboratory which reports administratively to the
NPHL; and
(iii) Division of Disease Surveillance and Response which handles disease
outbreak monitoring and response preparedness.
The second ministry of health (Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation) has
responsibility for: (i) facilities at levels 2 and 3 (dispensary and health centers); (ii)
disease control programs; and (ii) Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), a
parastatal body with substantial capacity. While the recent establishment of two
ministries of health creates potential complexities, to date the coordination and
collaboration on the preparation of this regional project has been good.
The Kenya health service delivers medical laboratory tests through a network of
about 960 clinical laboratories, of which 70 percent belong to the government, 20
percent to the NGOs, and 10 percent to the private for profit sector. Over 80 percent
of all laboratories participate in the national tuberculosis program. These clinical
laboratories receive support from central reference laboratories whose primary
function is to support quality assurance and provide specialized services. The
central reference labs are grouped under the umbrella of the National Public Health
Laboratory (NPHL) and maintain close links with their respective programs. The
NPHL has the overriding responsibility for data collection and dissemination and
coordinates laboratory specimen collection, transporting, testing or shipping the
4