Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis, September 2026 (PAHO/WHO) – The laboratory at the Joseph N. France (JNF) General Hospital is advancing its preparations for international accreditation through technical support from the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) and the Global Laboratory and Epidemiology System Strengthening Network (GLESSN).
The initiative is supporting the laboratory to strengthen its quality management system and work towards meeting ISO 15189:2022, the internationally recognized standard that sets requirements for quality and competence in medical laboratories.
International accreditation provides independent recognition that a laboratory has established the systems, processes and competencies needed to consistently produce reliable results. These systems are critical not only to patient care, but also to disease surveillance and the timely detection and response to public health threats.
The support is being provided through the Pandemic Fund project for the Eastern Caribbean, which is helping participating countries strengthen core capacities under the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), including laboratory systems. GLESSN, a delivery partner under the project, is providing assessment and mentoring support tailored to the needs of the JNF General Hospital laboratory.
A two-day in-country mission, held from 9-10 September 2026, provided an opportunity to assess existing systems, identify priority gaps and develop a clear pathway towards accreditation. Technical support and mentoring will continue through January 2027.
Working alongside laboratory personnel, the GLESSN team reviewed previous gap assessments and quality documentation, observed laboratory processes and workflows, and began developing action plans to address identified gaps. The support also includes strengthening required technical and administrative procedures, addressing priority corrective actions, mentoring personnel responsible for quality management, and helping the laboratory determine the tests to be included within the scope of its accreditation application.
The assessment focused specifically on the JNF General Hospital laboratory. Its findings will guide tailored recommendations, targeted training, updated documentation and other actions to strengthen the laboratory’s quality management system and readiness for accreditation.
The GLESSN team was led by Mrs. Claudette Browne, Manager and Quality International Specialist and Team Lead Assessor, and included Ms. Dorrett Martin, Laboratory Mentor and Senior Medical Technologist, and Ms. Janet Neil, Senior Technical Specialist and National Senior Medical Technologist.
“A country’s ability to detect, prevent and respond to health threats rests on the strength of its laboratories,” said Dr. Eva Jané Llopis, PAHO/WHO Representative for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Countries. “We are grateful to the Ministry of Health and national laboratory stakeholders for their collaboration. Strong laboratory systems underpin patient safety, disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and the resilience of the health system as a whole. This mission reflects our shared commitment to building sustainable laboratory quality and capacity in Saint Kitts and Nevis and across the Eastern Caribbean.”
