Microsoft Word 02Preface doc

3)
 
Tuberculosis (TB) 
In 1991 the GOG started full-scale TB control, and thus a National TB Control 
Programme (NTP) was established in 1994.  The NTP conducted training for TB 
laboratory from 1994 to 1995 with financial support from DANIDA.    However, the 
MOH and DANIDA reviewed the NTP in 1998, and pointed out that TB speculum 
services were the weakest component of the DOTS Control Strategy in Ghana.  
Nevertheless no assistance to TB control was being provided by other donor agencies 
after the termination of financial assistance by DANIDA for the training of microscopy 
centres from 1994 to 1995, since many donor agencies had pooled their funds into a 
health fund under the Sector-wide Approaches (SWAps). 
Through the establishment of the role of the NMIMR as a reference laboratory, JICA 
started to improve its capacity in order to enhance the poor state of the TB speculum 
centers that was pointed out by the MOH and DANIDA.    The required techniques for 
smear preparation, culture, mycobacterium species identification, and drug 
susceptibility testing were transferred at first since the Bacteriology Unit of the 
NMIMR had no facilities, equipment or experience in TB diagnosis in those days.  
Subsequently, activities to establish external quality assurance were conducted.    The 
NMIMR trained 30 experts from 10 regional hospitals in Ghana, and a national TB 
speculum quality assurance manual was prepared and submitted to the NTP.