CAREC EU – funded Strengthening of Medical Laboratory Services (SMLS) Project.
This four year project, initiated by CAREC was approved in May 2000, under the 8th European Development Fund (EDF) Caribbean Regional Indicative Programme (CRIP) and implemented by CAREC from 2002 to 2007.
The overall objective was to improve national and regional medical laboratory information in CARIFORUM countries, resulting in improved patient management, disease prevention and control. A higher level objective was to improve the health status of Caribbean populations.
The project aimed to improve management of, and coordination between, public and private laboratories in the region, thus leading to more accessible, higher quality and less fragmented laboratory information. Principal activities included: Training of existing staff in Laboratory Management and Quality Assurance; Inclusion of these principles within the curricula of training institutions; Development of standards for laboratories and an accreditation system for monitoring of laboratory quality; Development of information systems to support disease prevention and control initiatives, Operational research to support policy development.