Elisaveta Joldosova, Serosurvey in Uzbekistan

Elisaveta is an experienced Virologist and first started working for Integral Global on a project to improve diagnostic control in viral hepatis and conduct a population level hepatitis serosurvey in Uzbekistan.

She found that the difficulties of the large-scale population screening were encountered in the scientific approach, rather than the sampling itself. For example, she and her team had to develop a plan to transport samples from regional labs to the central lab as there was no common, or regulated system for the transport of biological samples. The quality of samples is integral to the technical diagnostic process.

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Each sample needed to be tested manually. With over 700 samples arriving at the central lab per day, Elizaveta’s team had to quickly scale-up their operations. Elisaveta noted that in the first days of the project, “[she] was very glad on one side [to be successfully receiving this quantity of samples], but on the other, it was a daunting task”.

Samples were taken from each of the country’s 7 regions, including hard to reach areas and populations. Through planning and persistence, Elisaveta and her team were able to collect the samples needed.

Elisaveta recounted a time when an oversight committee expressed surprise and disbelief at the quantity of positive tests. After conducting a number of quality assurance reviews, the results were shown to be very accurate. This process further underscored the need for a serosurvey in Uzbekistan.

Elisaveta is looking forward to seeing the project through to the end. She anticipates that the Ministry of Health will use the results to make decisions regarding public health interventions and policy.

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