22/08/2024 | News release | Distributed by Public on 22/08/2024 10:35
Malaysia is making efforts to control the measles outbreak and eliminate measles and rubella by 2030!
The WHO has recently accredited Malaysia's national and sub-national laboratories during 2023-2024. This is a testament to Malaysia's continued commitment to strengthen laboratory systems and in maintaining high standards in the measles, rubella elimination programme.
In the fight against measles and rubella, a robust case-based surveillance system is crucial, with laboratory confirmation. Each suspected case must undergo laboratory testing to confirm or exclude it as a non-measles, non-rubella case. As other diseases can cause similar clinical symptoms of fever and rash, accurate laboratory tests maintaining standards are crucial. High-quality laboratory investigations will enable a better understanding of the disease burden and reflect the impact of the measles-rubella vaccination program in country.
Accreditation Process and Criteria
To ensure laboratories meet international standards, the WHO conducts a thorough audit. This audit covers everything from logistics and testing procedures to the quality of equipment, staff adequacy and plans for capacity building. The accreditation process was conducted in three phases for national and sub national laboratories:
The accreditation process involved an audit of various standards of practice in the laboratories Source: NPHL, MOH
The laboratories were audited across several essential areas:
Continued collaboration between WHO and MOH will enable strengthening capacities for prevention and control of measles and rubella Source: NPHL, MOH
Throughout this journey, the WHO Regional Office for the Western Pacific Region and the WHO country office in Malaysia worked closely with the Ministry of Health (MOH) officials from the National Public Health Laboratory and Subnational Laboratories accredited. This collaboration ensured that the accreditation process was thorough and effective. The main objective was to confirm that the laboratory's performance and practices met with the expected WHO standards and were resilient in the face of challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
Positive Outcomes & Looking Ahead
The evaluation confirmed that Malaysia's measles and rubella laboratories were performing at a high level, with timely and accurate reporting. Sub-national laboratories have started serological testing and were building capacity for molecular detection methods. All laboratories reviewed met WHO standards in serological test performance and received the accreditation. Regional Director WHO has sent Accreditation Certificates to all laboratories reviewed, that met the WHO standards. The WHO recommends annual accreditation and looks forward to continued collaboration through on-site or virtual accreditation visits in future, to maintain these high standards.
Certification of accreditation
As Malaysia continues its journey towards effectively controlling the measles outbreak and eliminating measles and rubella, the collaboration between WHO and MOH remains strong. Together, they are committed to maintaining high-quality laboratory support and achieving measles and rubella elimination targets for a better, healthier future for all Malaysians.