CDC in Kazakhstan: Implementing Quality Control in Laboratories

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Summary

  • U.S. CDC and Kazakhstan worked together to strengthen laboratory quality standards well before the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • This investment helped the country in Central Asia respond to COVID-19 using ISO 15189, a standard which specifies the quality management system requirements particular to a medical laboratory.
  • Laboratory quality requirements improve test result accuracy and timely response to disease outbreaks to save lives.
Photo of workers walking through the hallway inside the National Center of Expertise (NCE) laboratory in Astana, Kazakhstan, June 22, 2021.

Kazakhstan, a country in Central Asia, reported its first case of COVID-19 on March 13, 2020. However, CDC’s preparation to improve Kazakhstan’s laboratory quality control began well before the pandemic by making sure laboratories meet quality standards. The standards help ensure accurate and timely testing for the virus that causes COVID-19. Photo credit: Maxim Malov/ Maxim Malov Videography

Photo of a laboratorian in full personal protective equipment (PPE) working in a biological safety cabinet (BSC) in the National Center of Expertise laboratory in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Shortly before the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the COVID-19 a global pandemic, the Kazakhstan National Center for Expertise (NCE) passed an important milestone, with support from its international partners: all 16 regional laboratories under the NCE confirmed compliance with the international lab quality management standard, ISO 15189. Photo credit: Maxim Malov/ Maxim Malov Videography

Photo of collected specimens in a tube holder.

ISO 15189 specifies the quality management system requirements particular to a medical laboratory. It requires medical laboratories to implement a quality management system. This means that all processes and procedures in the laboratories need to be documented, ensuring that laboratorians always understand and follow correct methods when conducting tests. Photo credit: Maxim Malov/ Maxim Malov Videography

Photo of CDC Health Communication Specialist Yerbulan Akhmetov and NCE Microbiologist Olga Hegai having a conversation in the laboratory.

CDC played a central role in implementing the standard at National Center for Expertise (NCE) laboratories by helping them organize specialized trainings for staff, conduct assessments of biosecurity and biosafety, and strengthen internal audit programs. Photo credit: Maxim Malov/ Maxim Malov Videography

Photo of a laboratorian in full personal protective equipment (PPE) handling samples in a biological safety cabinet (BSC).

"The process of implementing the standard was very labor-intensive because each laboratory had to demonstrate that it can do all the tests and all the work that’s expected of them in accordance with the requirements of the standard,” said Yerken Alzhanov, the Director of the Department of Strategic Development and International Collaboration of National Center for Expertise in 2021. Photo credit: Maxim Malov/ Maxim Malov Videography

Photo of CDC-donated automated sample handling equipment at National Center of Expertise laboratory in Nur-Sultan (now Astana), Kazakhstan.

CDC continued to support National Center for Expertise (NCE) laboratories throughout the pandemic by providing necessary equipment, supplies, and trainings for the staff. As a result, NCE laboratories produced more accurate test results during the COVID-19 pandemic, which helps doctors across the country make better diagnoses, leads to better treatment for patients, and saves lives. Photo credit: Maxim Malov/ Maxim Malov Videography