Address:  National Reference Laboratory of  the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan
2, Rashetov str., Tashkent, 700133, Uzbekistan
Telephone: 998 - 71  2432 977   and  Fax: 998 - 71 1207 904
Email:  reflab@sarkor.uz   

The National Reference laboratory (NRL) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan was established in 1998 on the basis of an agreement between the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, the Swiss Disaster Relief Agency and the Central Asian Regional Office of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA (CDC/CAR).  The NRL was as a branch of the Research Institute for Microbiology, Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases till April 2000 after which it was reorganized as a separate entity called the "Reference Laboratory of  the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan". The National Reference Laboratory staff includes a Director, Quality Manager and a group of technicians and assistants.

The main functions of NRL as assigned by the Ministry of Health include the following functions:
Training of laboratory personnel
Organizing and running the national external quality assessment scheme.
Evaluation of quality of assay kits used in Uzbekistan

The principle activities of NRL aim at evaluating the diagnostics especially blood screening reagents used to detect markers of blood borne infections (HIV, HBV, HCV and syphilis). Since 2000 NRL, in cooperation with National Administration for Quality Control of Drugs and Medical Techniques, performs evaluation of the main operational characteristics of assay kits for HIV, HBV, HCV and Syphilis commercially available in Uzbekistan. Sensitivity and specificity of those kits are estimated using the NRL panels prepared by NRL in accordance with WHO guidelines.  Based on the evaluation results, the National Administration for Quality Control of Drugs and Medical Techniques makes decisions regarding licensing of the evaluated kits. At present the quality of all the assay kits produced by three local manufacturers (99% of all kits for HIV, HBV and HCV used Uzbekistan) are constantly monitored by NRL.

NRL trains laboratory personnel and assists them in establishing quality systems. It also organized the National External Quality Assessment Schemes (EQAS) for HIV, HBV and HCV.

 
1)  Contribute to ICBS's efforts to install Quality Systems and improve quality assurance in the blood testing facilities of blood banks in countries of Central Asia.
 
2) Train personnel of blood transfusion centers especially from the countries of Central Asia in:
(a) lab testing procedures   
(b) quality assurance and
(c) evaluation of test kits and establishment of national panels.