PLYMOUTH MEETING, PAIn support of a campaign to bolster immunization practices throughout Latin American and Caribbean countries, ECRI (www.ecri.org), an independent, nonprofit health services research agency, hosted a three-and-a-half-day workshop on the evaluation of the quality of syringes for senior technical professionals from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Jamaica, Mexico, and Nicaragua. This work was performed with CITECH, an independent medical device testing laboratory.

The workshop was the latest effort in a multiyear collaboration between the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and ECRI aimed at improving the quality of information available throughout Latin American and Caribbean countries and to aid in medical technology decision making. PAHO recognized the need to test some of the needles and syringes that were purchased to deliver immunizations and to train local scientists to address problems with the devices when they occurred in the field.

Six participants and two observers at the recent workshop were instructed on technical topics, such as data recording, setting up a test laboratory, and needle and syringe safety. Hands-on modules provided instruction on how to conduct the most significant tests. The program also included exercises in problem solving, incident reporting, and investigation techniques.


PAHO is pleased that the member countries are committed to applying an objective and scientific approach to assuring quality in the use of needles and syringes in their immunization programs, said Nora Luca Rodrguez of PAHO.

This program will enable the participants to apply the technical skills and problem solving techniques that are required to confirm problems that are encountered in the field with needles and syringes, said Jonathan A. Gaev, Director of Technical Programs, ECRI.

ECRI and CITECH developed test protocols and procedures to enable professionals to investigate problems that have been identified in the field. To validate these protocols, syringes and needles from various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean were tested and lessons learned from that experience will be used as part of the overall assessment of the devices supplied through the most recent procurement. Additional tests will soon be conducted as part of PAHOs procurement process.

PAHO, the worlds oldest international organization, works with the countries of the Americas to improve the health and raise the living standards of their peoples. It also serves as the Regional Office of the World Health Organization.

ECRI has been a Collaborating Center of the World Health Organization/PAHO since 1987. For further information, please contact the project manager, Jonathan A. Gaev, MSE, HEM, CCE, Director of Technical Programs in ECRIs Health Devices Group at jgaev@ecri.org or Antonio Hernndez, Regional Advisor for PAHO at 1hernana(at)paho.org.

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