USAID, partners hold Microbiological Risk Assessment for TB webinar

From the Philippine Information Agency (Oct 13, 2020): USAID, partners hold Microbiological Risk Assessment for TB webinar (By Gabriela Liana S. Barela)

TARLAC CITY, Oct.13 (PIA) -- About 335 medical technologists and other stakeholders both from public and private facilities in Central Luzon attended a webinar on Microbiological Risk Assessment for Tuberculosis (TB).

Entitled “Microbiological Risk Assessment: The Backbone of Laboratory Biosafety”, it was organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) TB Platforms Project in partnership with Department of Health (DOH) Region 3, National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory-Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (NTRL-RITM), and Philippine Business for Social Progress Access TB Project.

“The webinar aims to capacitate TB laboratory personnel about the basic guidelines and concepts on laboratory biosafety protocols and build competence of laboratory service staff at service delivery points. These personnel are key staff during the process of microbiological risk assessment, development of quality control plan and implementation of risk management,” USAID’s TB Platforms Project Social and Behavior Change Communication Specialist Diwata Paredes said.

In her message, DOH Region 3 National TB Control Program Coordinator Eloisa Vidar emphasized the importance of the activity.

"This will pave the way for the development of a baseline risk assessment in TB Microscopy Laboratories and Rapid TB Diagnostic Laboratories (RTDL) performing TB testing using the risk management process in the context of COVID-19 and a Quality Improvement project of the RDTLs nationwide," Vidar stressed.

Resource speakers from NTRL-RITM Earl Christian Mantes and Catherine Sacopon shared World Health Organization’s (WHO) issuance and NTRL Department Memorandum on the interim guidelines on handling infectious specimen for TB testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sacopon explained WHO-prescribed risk assessment template in identifying hazards and evaluating risks and control measures.

Also highlighted were the risk management process and common sources of laboratory errors. Likewise, a review of the systematic approach to evaluate risks and hazards and how to manage and mitigate risks of any laboratory activity has been tackled. (CLJD/GLSB-PIA 3)

https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1055929