Conference Abstract | Volume 9 (ConfProc7): Abstract 086 | Published: 05 Oct 2026
Hawaha Ashong1,&, Emmanuel Gameli Adzaworlu1, Benjamin Kissi Sasu1, Sherry Johnson2
1National Food Safety Laboratory, Veterinary Services Directorate, Accra, Ghana, 2Veterinary School of Medicine, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
&Corresponding author: Hawaha Korkor Ashong; Global Laboratory Leadership Program, National Food Safety Laboratory, Veterinary Services Directorate, Accra, Ghana, Email: ahawahu01@gmail.com
Received: 29 Aug 2025, Accepted: 28 Oct 2025, Published: 05 Oct 2026
Domain: Laboratory Systems Strengthening
This is part of the Proceedings of the 8th Ghana FELTP Scientific Conference and FELTP Competency Graduation, Accra, Ghana, 10 – 11 December, 2025
Keywords: Assessment, quality management system, accreditation
©Hawaha Ashong et al. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Hawaha Ashong et al. Assessment of quality management system implementation and corrective action planning in selected veterinary laboratories in Ghana. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2026;9(ConfProc7):086. https://doi.org/10.37432/JIEPH-CONFPRO7-0086
Quality Management Systems (QMS) are vital for strengthening diagnostic capacity in veterinary laboratories, ensuring reliability, credibility and compliance with international standards. Without a clear understanding of existing quality gaps, laboratories risk producing unreliable test results. This study assessed QMS implementation and corrective action planning in two veterinary laboratories in Ghana.
A descriptive cross-sectional assessment was conducted in September 2025 at the Central Veterinary Laboratory (CVL) in Pong Tamale and the Takoradi Veterinary Laboratory (TVL) in the Western region. The methodology utilized the WHO Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation (SLIPTA) Checklist, through a combination of direct observation, staff interviews, and document reviews. Scores were analyzed using the SLIPTA star rating system.
The CVL scored 142/367 (38.7%), and the TVL scored 149/367 (40.6%). Critical deficiencies were noted in foundational Quality System Essentials (QSEs), including Continual Improvement (0/7 for both), Documents and Records (CVL 5/22; TVL 7/22), and Customer Focus (CVL 9/24; TVL 10/24). Both labs are highly understaffed. Relative strengths were observed in Facilities and Safety (CVL 33/57; TVL 36/57).
Both laboratories demonstrated limited QMS implementation, falling into the “No Stars” category ((0 – 205 pts) < 55%) of the SLIPTA checklist. Immediate and sustained intervention is required, including intensive QMS training, strengthening document control, and establishing routine Internal Audit and Management Review programs. We developed forms for specific equipment and temperature monitoring logs to initiate corrective actions for the two laboratories. Further, we trained staff on some of the developed forms and conduct regular checks on the laboratories to ensure corrective actions are carried out.
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