The National Malaria Reference Laboratory (NMARL) is a public health laboratory facility established by the Ministry of Health (MOH) with the mandate to offer reference malaria services and oversee all quality assurance programs in malaria diagnosis. NMARL operates within regulatory standards set by Kenya Medical Technicians and Technologist Laboratory Board.
NMARL provides a comprehensive range of services which are: evaluation of new Laboratory methods for malaria diagnosis, quality assurance (slide rechecking and provision of malaria proficiency tests panels), molecular diagnosis, competency assessment, formulation of policy guidelines, and inter laboratory networking.
Manager Profile
Rosebella Rotich is a Medical Laboratory Technologist with a Master of Science degree in Laboratory management and Epidemiology. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree holder in Biochemistry.
Rosebella is a WHO accredited Malaria microscopist/Malaria microscopy TOT trainer.
Laboratory sections
Slide rechecking
Functions
- Maintaining malaria slide bank
- External Quality Assurance through slide rechecking
- Proficiency testing
- Routine malaria surveillance
Molecular
Functions
- Outbreak investigations
- Molecular diagnosis
- Genomic surveillance of malaria
- Drug susceptibility testing
Training
Functions
- Malaria Quality Assurance
- National External competence Assessment of Malaria Microscopists
- Malaria microscopy refresher trainings
Validation
Functions
- mRDTs lot to lot validation
- Evaluation of malaria products and equipments
- Post market surveillance of mRDTs
Ongoing projects and implementing partners
Project | Project objectives/ implementing partners |
Malaria Therapeutic Efficacy Study | To assess the therapeutic efficacy of Artemether Lumefantrine (AL) and Dihydroartemisinin-Piperaquine (DHP) for the treatment of uncomplicated P. falciparum malaria in Siaya and Bungoma counties, Kenya. 1. Ministry of Health, Kenya (DNPHL, DNMP) 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 3. Impact Malaria, Jhpiego, Kenya 4. World Health Organization |
Histidine Rich Protein Gene Deletion Study | To determine whether the local prevalence of deletions in the P. falciparum hrp2/3 genes causing false-negative HRP2 RDT results among symptomatic falciparum patients has reached a threshold that might require a national or subnational change in malaria RDTs. 1.Ministry of Health, Kenya (DNPHL, DNMP) 2.World Health Organization 3. KEMRI-Welcome Trust Kilifi/Kisumu |
Malaria Slide Bank | To maintain high-quality characterized slides to support quality assurance programs and malaria microscopy refresher trainings in Kenya. 1. Ministry of Health, Kenya (DNPHL, DNMP) 2. Impact Malaria, Jhpiego, Kenya 3. AMREK-Kenya |
Test menu
Test | Walk-in/Referral service | Free/chargeable | Expected TAT |
mRDT malaria testing | Walk-in | Free | 30 mins |
Malaria Microscopy testing | Walk-in | Free | 60 mins |
Molecular diagnosis | Referral | Free | 24 hours |
Drug susceptibility testing | Referral | Free | 2 weeks |
List of accreditations/licensure
- Kenya Medical Laboratory Technicians & Technicians Board (KMLTTB) practicing licenses
- ISO 15189 standards – KENAS
- ISO 17043 standards – KENAS
Contact us
nmarleqa@nphl.go.ke
+25472394879