A supranational reference laboratory is a laboratory that provides its services beyond national borders. The purpose of such a facility would be to complement in-country deficits in capacity.
The Uganda National Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory was started as the Uganda Bacteriological Investigation Unit in the late 1950’s under the then East African Community.
The laboratory currently employs 36 members of staff of different cadres including laboratory technologists, administrators, data clerks and support staff.