Reception and accession
Private check-in, approved consent, unique specimen coding, request review and safe hand-off to trained staff.
No public display of names or results.
A malaria laboratory roadmap built around safety, quality and public purpose.
This page describes the facilities, systems and partnerships Tanale would need for responsible malaria testing support and community research.
Public statusFacility roadmap — not a claim of an operational clinical diagnostic laboratory.
Explore the facility plan
PurposeCommunity learning and quality-focused malaria support
Core methodsMicroscopy, RDT quality support and referral
SafeguardsConsent, biosafety, competency and secure data
Current positionPartners and operational verification required
Prompt, quality-assured testing supports the right next step.
The World Health Organization recommends diagnostic testing by microscopy or a rapid diagnostic test before malaria treatment. A responsible facility therefore needs more than a room and microscopes: it needs trained people, controlled workflows, quality assurance, safe waste handling and appropriate clinical referral.
Tanale’s proposed role is to connect community education and responsible research with qualified laboratory, clinical and public-health partners. The website does not provide diagnosis or treatment advice.
Plan the people, privacy and utilities around the laboratory work.
These additional planning views show how responsible capability extends beyond the testing bench into reception, community learning and resilient infrastructure.
Privacy begins at reception.Private check-in, minimum necessary data, coded handoff and controlled records.
Learning connects the lab to prevention.Practical discussion can connect prevention, prompt testing and appropriate referral.
Utilities are part of quality.Reliable power, water and monitored storage need defined limits and recovery plans.
Six controlled zones from reception to safe disposal.
The layout should separate public circulation, specimen work, records, storage and waste so that people and materials move safely.
Microscopy preparation
A clean bench for labelled slides, thick and thin film preparation, controlled staining, drying and traceable batches.
SOPs govern every preparation step.Examination and second reading
Quality light microscopy with competent readers, parasite identification and density work only within an approved scope.
Discrepancies trigger review, not guesswork.RDT quality support
Controlled storage, lot and expiry records, temperature monitoring, training and quality-control support for approved rapid tests.
RDT use follows current authorised instructions.Data and secure records
Role-based access, coded research data, result authorisation, retention limits, backups and a documented correction trail.
General website forms never receive medical records.Decontamination and waste
Hand hygiene, appropriate PPE, disinfectants, sharps controls, spill response and authorised waste disposal.
Waste routes remain separate from public areas.Equipment only counts when it is maintained, controlled and used competently.
The items below are planning requirements. They are not an inventory of equipment currently owned by Tanale Foundation.
Core bench
- Quality binocular light microscopes
- Slide preparation and staining bench
- Calibrated timers, racks and measuring tools
- Validated reagents and controlled consumables
Safety and utilities
- Handwashing and appropriate PPE
- Sharps, spill and infectious-waste controls
- Reliable water and backup power for critical equipment
- Environmental and temperature logs
Quality records
- SOPs and controlled document versions
- Maintenance, calibration and competency logs
- RDT lot, expiry and storage records
- Secure result and inventory systems
Referral capability
- Qualified clinical referral relationship
- External quality assessment support
- Reference laboratory access for complex cases
- Molecular testing through approved partners unless verified in-house
Each specimen follows one traceable route.
Clinical decisions remain with appropriately authorised professionals. Research samples require an approved protocol and informed consent.
- 01
Define the authorised purpose
Confirm whether the work is clinical support, training, quality assurance or an ethics-approved research protocol.
- 02
Consent, code and receive
Verify request details, minimise personal data, assign a unique code and document chain of custody.
- 03
Prepare and test under SOP
Use approved methods, controlled materials, valid equipment and staff whose competency is current.
- 04
Review quality
Apply second reads or supervisory checks, resolve discrepancies and reject invalid work rather than forcing a result.
- 05
Authorise, report or refer
Release information only through an authorised route and escalate results that need clinical or reference-laboratory review.
- 06
Store, learn and dispose
Follow retention rules, de-identify approved learning data, document incidents and dispose of materials safely.
Questions that connect laboratory quality with community action.
Training needs, supervised practice, second-reading systems and ongoing proficiency.
Storage conditions, lot tracking, correct use and appropriate escalation of uncertain results.
How people understand prevention, prompt testing and appropriate referral without stigma or misinformation.
Ethics-approved, de-identified surveillance questions developed with public-health and academic partners.
People are never simply samples or data points.
Dignity, valid consent, confidentiality and a useful public purpose come before publication, promotion or convenience.
Before work begins
- Risk assessment and approved scope
- Ethics review when research involves people or specimens
- Competency, SOP and referral verification
During operations
- Incident, maintenance and quality-control records
- Role-based access and minimum necessary data
- Safe storage, decontamination and waste handling
What we will not do
- Diagnose through a public website or general contact form
- Offer treatment outside authorised clinical care
- Publish identifiable health data or overstate findings
Build the capability with qualified institutions and people.
A credible malaria facility depends on formal responsibilities, quality oversight and reliable referral—not informal endorsements.
Laboratory scientists
Microscopy leadership, competency assessment, SOPs and supervision.
Clinical and referral facilities
Authorised patient care, result interpretation and escalation pathways.
Universities and public health programmes
Protocol design, ethics, epidemiology, training and responsible knowledge sharing.
Quality and biosafety advisers
Risk assessment, external quality assurance and readiness review.
Equipment and infrastructure supporters
Validated equipment, maintenance support, utilities and controlled supplies—not unserviceable donations.
Research library
Only verified and approved Tanale research notes appear here. An empty library is more responsible than an invented result.
From Receipt to Safe Disposal: A Traceable Malaria Laboratory Workflow
A six-stage planning model for authorised purpose, consent, specimen coding, controlled testing, quality review, referral, records and disposal.
Read research noteMalaria Microscopy and RDTs: Quality Is the Whole Chain
How microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests fit into malaria testing—and why storage, competency, supervision and quality assurance matter.
Read research noteWhat a Malaria Laboratory Needs Before Testing Begins
A facility-readiness guide covering controlled zones, trained people, reliable utilities, biosafety, records, quality oversight and referral.
Read research noteThe roadmap follows recognised malaria and biosafety guidance.
Bring a qualified facility or research partnership.
Share the proposed scope, credentials, responsibilities, quality safeguards, referral plan and community benefit.