The Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories (DGAL) in Uganda has obtained accreditation in accordance with the global standard for laboratory testing and calibration.
The IAEA and the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have been providing support to the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) in Uganda and Zimbabwe.
For many testing and calibration laboratories in Africa, obtaining this accreditation is a goal because it shows expertise, boosts client confidence, and improves the possibility of drawing resources by offering paid services, thereby supporting the sustainability of such laboratories.
Additionally, accredited labs support food dealers in their efforts to enter and remain in both domestic and foreign markets. Due to a lack of funding, national testing and calibration facilities like Uganda’s Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories (DGAL) must look into ways to raise money in order to support regular operations and guarantee long-term service delivery.
According to a statement from the international Atomic Energy organisation, the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories’ skills have been strengthened by assistance from the IAEA and the FAO. Additionally, accredited labs support food dealers in their efforts to enter and remain in both domestic and foreign markets. Today, the lab can routinely check items like chicken for chemical risks and can give end users more dependable analytical test findings, boosting consumer confidence.
14 tests, including methods for identifying pesticide residues in fruits and vegetables, persistent organic pollutants in fish and meat, and dangerous metals like lead, were accredited by ISO17025:2017 by the Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories. Additional tests conducted by six laboratory units include toxicity, microbiology, and DNA testing.
The accreditation, which will take effect in February 2024 and last for four years, will boost trust among national and international consumers of the laboratory’s services.
Accredited laboratories also help food traders to access and sustain national and international markets. In the face of limited resources, national testing and calibration laboratories such as Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories (DGAL) in Uganda must explore mechanisms to attract funds to facilitate routine operations and ensure sustainable service-delivery.
A statement from international Atomic Energy agency said support provided by the IAEA, in cooperation with the FAO, has helped to strengthen Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories capabilities. Accredited laboratories also help food traders to access and sustain national and international markets. The laboratory is now capable of regularly testing foods such as chicken for chemical hazards and can provide end-users with more reliable analytical test results, creating greater consumer confidence.
Maintaining the accreditation means that laboratories must improve their quality management system as this is a requirement from accreditation to re-accreditation. “The path to accreditation can be long and demanding, requiring rigorous training of personnel, establishment of equipment handled by well trained personnel. We thank IAEA’s support in the process,” said Kepher Kuchana Kateu, Director of Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories.
“Excellence in analytical service delivery is required to maintain this status beyond the four years and we are determined to keep the standards and provide laboratory leadership in the country and the region,” said Kateu.
The Directorate of Government Analytical Laboratories (DGAL) plays a critical role in investigations including in forensics, poisoning, paternity tests and food safety.
“With the IAEA’s support, which includes installation and building capabilities for routine use of an inductively coupled mass spectrometer as well as the establishment of a laboratory information management system, the status of those laboratories is expected to be significantly enhanced and to maintain this status to remain credible” says Anna Grigoryan, Programme Management Officer at the IAEA’s Department of Technical Cooperation.