Strengthening Global Health Security with Ghana's National Health Laboratory Policy and Drone Technology: World Laboratory Day 2024

World Laboratory Day 2024, with the theme "The Future is Lab," highlights the crucial role laboratories play in advancing science and combating global health threats. It also seeks to inspire the next generation of scientists and innovators, emphasizing the laboratory's impact on our shared future.

Infectious diseases and health emergencies continue to pose a serious threat, as seen in the 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa and the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk of a future pandemic is significant. In April 2024, the WHO's chief scientist warned about the alarming risk of bird flu spreading to humans, given the high mortality rate of the H5N1 strain, despite no recorded human-to-human transmission.

A key component of effective health security is strong laboratory capacity, supported by skilled laboratory scientists and efficient specimen transportation systems. Ghana, a country committed to the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), is taking steps to enhance its laboratory infrastructure. Nonetheless, to make significant progress in addressing laboratory capacity challenges, Ghana as a matter of urgency must fully implement the National Health Laboratory Policy (NHLP), designed to improve laboratory quality assurance, capacity building, and infrastructure. On this World Laboratory Day, we explore how implementing the NHLP and leveraging Zipline's drone delivery technology can enhance Ghana's health security by addressing key laboratory challenges, particularly in specimen transportation, while promoting better public health outcomes.

Understanding the Global Health Security Agenda

The Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA), launched in 2014, is an international initiative designed to enhance global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases. By uniting governments, international organizations, and public health experts, the GHSA creates a coordinated approach to global health security. With 11 action packages covering areas like antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, and national laboratory systems, the GHSA promotes international collaboration to create a safer and healthier world.

Ghana's Commitment to Health Security

Since joining the GHSA in 2015, Ghana has demonstrated its commitment to improving public health infrastructure. However, the 2017 Joint External Evaluation (JEE) identified several areas requiring improvement, particularly in the national laboratory system. These challenges included inconsistent specimen referral and transportation, dependence on imported reagents, lack of standardized testing, and workforce shortages. Addressing these issues requires implementing the NHPL, drafted in 2013 but not fully executed, to enhance Ghana's laboratory capabilities and meet GHSA objectives.

Addressing Challenges with the National Health Laboratory Policy

Implementing Ghana's NHLP is key to resolving the country's laboratory capacity challenges. The policy seeks to standardize laboratory procedures, ensuring consistent, reliable, and accurate test results across all facilities. It also focuses on modernizing laboratory infrastructure by upgrading equipment and expanding lab spaces, which improves both capacity and efficiency. By establishing clear protocols for specimen collection and transportation, the policy stand to improve inter-laboratory collaboration. Drone delivery services like Zipline can further facilitate inter-lab sample referral

The NHLP emphasizes continuous education and training, clear career paths, and positive workplace environments to attract and retain skilled laboratory scientists. It aims to diversify supply sources to reduce dependency on imports and prevent stock-outs of critical reagents and test kits. Furthermore, the policy will promote research and development in laboratory sciences, and encourages better communication and collaboration among laboratories, healthcare facilities, and government agencies, enabling a more coordinated response to public health threats.

By strengthening the laboratory network, Ghana is better equipped to detect and respond to infectious disease outbreaks, contributing to both national and global health security. The policy is expected to contribute significantly to Ghana’s progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 3 (Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all age).

My Experience as a CDC Polio Surge Officer

While serving as a CDC Polio Surge Officer in Ghana's Western Region from 2021 to 2022, I witnessed firsthand, the severe deficit of laboratory capacity. Most district labs lacked the capacity for advance diagnostic. Lab specimens, for public health purposes, are referred to regional and national laboratories for testing. The challenges in specimen transportation from community health facilities to testing center are enormous. There have been attempts to involve Ghana Post Courier Services and the State Transport Corporation (STC) for sample transport, but these solutions had significant drawbacks, including delayed pick-ups, and prolonged transit times, compromising sample integrity. In some cases, official vehicles were used to transport samples, resulting in high fuel cost. Moreover, logistical challenges often delay the return of sample carriers from laboratories to health facilities, creating shortages in some community health centers.

Zipline's Drone Delivery Services: A Solution for Specimen Transportation

To address the critical challenge of specimen referral and transportation, Ghana should leverage on existing innovative technology such as Zipline's drone delivery services. Zipline, operating in Ghana since 2019, uses drones to provide rapid and reliable transportation of medical supplies and biological specimens. A notable achievement by Zipline is the delivery of nearly 8 million doses of vaccines, including routine immunizations and COVID-19 vaccines, across Ghana. This demonstrates the potential of drone technology to reach remote and underserved areas, significantly impacting on the speed of transportation.

Benefits of Zipline Integration
Incorporating Zipline's drone delivery services into Ghana's public health infrastructure presents significant advantages:

Enhanced Laboratory Capacity: A robust specimen referral system can harness the full potential of Ghana's national laboratory infrastructure. By strategically zoning laboratory facilities and building diagnostic capabilities for specific infectious agents, we can promote inter-laboratory collaboration, with Zipline enabling efficient sample transport between sites. This approach could improve diagnostic turnaround times and strengthens Ghana's laboratory network.

Enhanced Emergency Response: Drones can transport vital medical supplies to remote areas during public health emergencies, where every minute counts. This technology allows Ghana to overcome logistical challenges, enabling prompt delivery of vaccines, medications, and other essential medical items, thereby facilitating a quicker response during crises. By integrating Zipline into public health systems, Ghana can play a more effective role in regional and global health security, reinforcing Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) objectives.

Conclusion and Call to Action
Strengthening Ghana's laboratory capacity through the comprehensive implementation of the National Laboratory Policy and the use of Zipline's drone technology paves the way for greater health security and improved public health outcomes. By incorporating cutting-edge technology and robust policies, Ghana can build a more resilient healthcare system equipped to effectively respond to emerging public health threats.

Stakeholders in Ghana's health sector need to collaborate to implement the National Laboratory Policy effectively while integrating Zipline's services, emphasizing on sustainability and continuous improvement. By embracing innovative technologies and fostering teamwork, Ghana can significantly enhance its laboratory capacity, leader to a safer and healthier future for all.

Written by
Raymond Razak Mahama
([email protected])
Field Epidemiologist/Medical Laboratory Scientist

Tamale Teaching hospital.