Global health development aid initiatives and the quality of medical laboratory services in sub-Saharan Africa: a narrative review

Background

Medical laboratory diagnostic services play a critical role in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of diseases, forming the cornerstone of effective healthcare systems. Despite the crucial role of laboratory services, the quality and accessibility of medical laboratory services in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) face significant challenges. Global health development aid has been pivotal in supporting SSA laboratory services. This study aimed to examine global health development aid initiatives that have successfully enhanced the quality of medical laboratory services and the challenges and barriers to effectively improving medical laboratory services through global health development aid in SSA.

Methods

We used a narrative review study design. We searched PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus for articles published in the last 15 years. These three databases are generally considered premier databases for peer-reviewed articles in global health, public health, health systems, and biomedical sciences. The inclusion criteria for this review included research studies, reports, and grey literature. Only articles published in English from 2010 onward were considered. The analysis followed a qualitative approach, emphasizing thematic synthesis and critical interpretation.

Results

Forty articles were included in this study. Of these, 18 were primary research studies, 11 were reports, 7 were commentaries, and 4 were reviews. Five sub-themes from the successful global health development aid initiative themes were capacity building and training programs, infrastructure development, partnership models, policy advocacy and regulatory support, quality control and standardization of laboratory services. The sub-themes from the challenges and barrier theme were insufficient funding and resource allocation, human resource constraints, inadequate infrastructure and equipment, and political and institutional barriers. This review revealed that several factors, including financial sustainability, human resource capacity, institutional support, resilience, and effective monitoring systems, shape the sustainability of improvements in medical laboratory services in SSA.

Conclusion

Achieving long-term sustainability requires strategies that ensure financial self-sufficiency, foster a skilled and stable workforce, and integrate laboratory services into national health frameworks.