title: Importance of Public-Private Partnerships: Strengthening Laboratory Medicine Systems and Clinical Practice in Africa.
abstract: After the launch of the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief in 2003, it became evident that inadequate laboratory systems and services would severely limit the scale-up of human immunodeficiency virus infection prevention, care, and treatment programs. Thus, the Office of the US Global AIDS Coordinator, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Becton, Dickinson and Company developed a public-private partnership (PPP). Between October 2007 and July 2012, the PPP combined the competencies of the public and private sectors to boost sustainable laboratory systems and develop workforce skills in 4 African countries. Key accomplishments of the initiative include measurable and scalable outcomes to strengthen national capacities to build technical skills, develop sample referral networks, map disease prevalence, support evidence-based health programming, and drive continuous quality improvement in laboratories. This report details lessons learned from our experience and a series of recommendations on how to achieve successful PPPs.
authors.affiliation: International Laboratory Branch, Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: Ritu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.affiliation: Becton, Dickinson, and Company, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey.
authors.forename: Renuka
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gadde
authors.affiliation: International Laboratory Branch, Division of Global HIV/AIDS, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia.
authors.forename: John N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Nkengasong
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D000349:Africa; D002487:Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S.; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007753:Laboratories / Q000458:organization & administration* / Q000592:standards; D017149:Private Sector; D055818:Public-Private Sector Partnerships; D014481:United States
keywords: AIDS; Africa; Becton, Dickinson and Company; HIV; PEPFAR; laboratory systems; private sector; public-private partnership