Tuberculosis does not stay within city limits. It does not wait for fully equipped referral hospitals. It spreads quietly in rural communities, in fishing villages, in border towns – in places like Paidha, Zombo District, where access to advanced TB diagnostics has historically been limited by distance, infrastructure, and resources.
That is exactly why NTRL goes beyond.
Today, NTRL expert trainer Mr. Pius Lutaya is on the ground at Paidha HC III, Zombo District and Jupanziri HC III, Nebbi district West-Nile, leading the installation and hands-on training of the Truenat Plus Life platform bringing WHO-endorsed molecular TB diagnostics directly to one of Uganda’s most underserved communities in the West Nile region.
Paidha HC III & Jupanziri HC III, – Why This Matters?
Zombo and Nebbi Districts sit in Uganda’s West Nile subregion, bordering the Democratic Republic of Congo. Communities in this area face a double burden and high TB risk compounded by limited access to quality diagnostic services. For years, patients suspected of TB at facilities like Paidha HC III had to travel significant distances to access molecular testing, losing precious time during which TB continued to progress and spread.
The installation of Truenat Plus Life in these regions could change that equation fundamentally. For the first time, laboratory staff at this health centre will have the capacity to perform accurate, rapid, molecular-level TB detection right where patients present no referral, no delay, no distance.
Bringing Expertise Where It Is Needed Most
Mr. Pius Lutaya represents the kind of NTRL expertise that makes a difference not in conference rooms but in the field at the bench, with real equipment, in real facilities, working directly with laboratory staff who will use these tools to save lives every day.
His role at Health Centers cover everything needed to make this installation sustainable and effective:
- Physical installation and configuration of the Truenat Plus Life platform
- Hands-on operation training for facility laboratory staff
- Sample preparation – sputum processing and chip loading techniques
- Result interpretation and documentation for national TB reporting
- Quality control procedures and daily maintenance routines
- Troubleshooting common errors and connectivity issues
- Linkage to NTRL’s PT scheme for ongoing external quality assurance
This is not a one-day visit. It is a complete capacity transfer, ensuring that when Mr. Lutaya leaves these places, the laboratory team can operate confidently, independently, and accurately disseminating results as early as possible.
Truenat Plus Life: The Right Tool for West Nile
Truenat Plus Life is particularly well suited for facilities like Health Centers . It is:
- Battery-operated – functional even with less power
- Compact and portable – fits on any laboratory bench
- WHO-endorsed – meets international standards for TB and rifampicin resistance detection
- Near point-of-care – results within 60 minutes of sample receipt
- Durable – designed for high-humidity, variable-temperature environments
For a health centre serving a high-risk border community in West Nile, these features are not just convenient – they are essential.
Every District. Every Facility. Every Patient.
NTRL’s outreach to Paidha HC III is part of a deliberate national strategy to decentralise quality TB diagnostics ensuring that the standard of care available at Uganda’s national reference laboratory in Kampala is progressively extended to every district, every health centre, and every patient across the country.
The End TB Strategy demands nothing less. And NTRL through experts like Pius Lutaya, programmes like Plus Life, and the relentless commitment to quality that defines this institution is meeting that demand one health centre at a time.
Today it is West Nile region. Tomorrow it is the next facility. And every installation, every training session, every health worker equipped with new skills represents another step toward a Uganda free from tuberculosis.
Uganda SRL/NTRL provides TB diagnostic equipment installation, training, and ongoing quality assurance support to health facilities across Uganda. To request support for your facility contact training@ntrl.or.ug | info@ntrl.or.ug or call 0800-100-066.
