Ministry of health
National Public Health Laboratories
National HIV Reference Laboratory


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why should I enrol?
A: Proficiency testing offers an objective way to monitor and assess the reliability of laboratory results you generate for clinical care and management. It can also be used for evaluation of competency
Q: Which programmes are currently available under the scheme?
A: The NHRL proficiency testing programme currently offers the following modules:
  • HIV Early Infant Diagnosis
  • HIV Viral Load
  • Flow Cytometry
Q: Who is eligible for enrolment?
A: Laboratory personnel in clinical or research laboratories involved in medical investigations for patient care and management
Q: How do I register?
A: Visit the National Public Health Laboratory website, click on Portal, select NHRL PT and select the module you wish to enroll, from the drop down menu. Fill in the form online. An automatic response confirmation email will be sent to you after the coordination team at NHRL has verified the submitted information.
Q: Do I need to register for each round?
A: No. You only register once. Your account is maintained. However you will be required to fill in a readiness assessment evaluation for each round.
Q: How do I switch to a different test?
A: Since you are already registered in the programme, log in and request for the test you wish to be switched to. Any previous performance from the other module(s) will be maintained on your account
Q: How is my performance evaluated?
A: Performance is graded as either Acceptable or Unacceptable using the criteria of being within or out of ±2 standard deviations of the mean respectively. The mean is generated either from results from the National HIV Reference Laboratory or from group performance mean
Q: What do I do if I get an unsatisfactory result?
A: Perform a root cause analysis followed by corrective action and where applicable, preventive action. Fill in the form provided online and submit within the stipulated duration
Q: Are the performance reports confidential?
A: Individual performance reports are confidential. It is the responsibility of the participant to secure their log in credentials to prevent unauthorized access to their account
Q: How can the administrators of this EQA scheme be reached?
A: Create a ticket on the NPHL Help Desk and we'll get back to you.