In order to guarantee the delivery of high-quality water in their individual nations, twenty laboratory staff members from eight African countries who work in water management institutions are receiving training in Accra.
The participants are from Mali, Cote d'Ivoire, Malawi, Niger, Togo, Ethiopia, and Cameroun.
It was sponsored by the African Water and Sanitation Association (AfWASA) and designed to give participants a step-by-step guide on how to create a handbook for laboratory quality assurance.
Additionally, it was intended to increase their ability to effectively run their laboratories and monitor, collect, and analyse data.
It is a component of the AfriCap initiative, which aims to improve the capacity of African water operators in non-profit water management, water quality management, and inclusive sanitation.
USAID is providing funding for the three-day training workshop's second phase, which started yesterday.
Ten African nations, including Ghana, participated in the first phase, which was staged in 2016.
quality control
According to Dr. Margaret Macaulay, Chief Manager in Charge of Water Quality Assurance at the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL), Ghana was identified as having the best laboratory during the first phase and has since 2017 trained and shared experiences with other African countries on how to draught their laboratory quality assurance manuals.
She said that after going through laboratory audits and other technical training, the GWCL was better equipped to educate other African nations to create their own manuals.
"We will teach participants a step-by-step process of how the GWCL was able to put together the quality manual, a manual that provides a standardised way of delivering quality laboratory management," Dr. Macaulay continued. "Now that our capacity has been strengthened and we have been made to share experiences and train people, we will teach participants a process that demonstrates how the GWCL was able to develop the quality manual."
She said that the guidebook will aid laboratory employees in reducing human error and raising the quality of output data, among other things.
guaranteeing standards
Access to clean and safe water was described as a difficult and ever-evolving problem by the managing director of GWCL, Dr. Clifford Braimah, in a speech read on his behalf.
However, he warned that the supply value chain must not compromise water quality at any stage since doing so might have catastrophic consequences for public health.
"A crucial first step in ensuring that everyone has access to clean, safe water is the creation of a water quality laboratory handbook.
"The manual serves as a comprehensive guide that outlines standards, procedures, and protocols for monitoring, managing, and improving water quality," the MD continued.
He said that the document will serve as a guide for action, allowing laboratory personnel to put into practise efficient management techniques and methods for managing drinking water quality.
Dr. Braimah thanked USAID and AfWASA for their assistance in setting up the training programme.
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