At the core of NHRTI’s TB service portfolio is its Regional TB Reference Laboratory, which is located within the Institute’s premises at Ndola Teaching Hospital. This laboratory is the only facility in Zambia’s Northern Region providing tuberculosis culture and drug susceptibility testing (DST) services, making it a critical component of the national TB diagnostic network. The NHRTI Regional TB Reference Laboratory is SADCAS-accredited under ISO 15189:2022, demonstrating its adherence to international quality standards and strengthening confidence in its services.
ISO 15189:2022 Accredited
SADCAS accreditation demonstrates adherence to international quality standards and strengthens confidence in all diagnostic results.
View accreditation detailsThree Provinces Served
The reference laboratory analyses referred TB specimens from diagnostic centres across Copperbelt, Luapula, and North-Western provinces.
Full Care Cascade
Supporting the entire TB care continuum from community screening and confirmatory diagnosis to treatment monitoring and surveillance.
TB Sample Referral Services Offered by NHRTI
The reference laboratory analyses referred TB specimens from diagnostic centres across three provinces: Copperbelt, Luapula, and Northwest. The facility provides advanced culture confirmation, rapid molecular testing, drug susceptibility testing, and disease surveillance.
As Zambia’s sole reference laboratory for the Northern Region, NHRTI ensures standard-compliant testing and rapid turnaround for presumptive drug-resistant cases.
Contact the reference laboratoryServices provided
Culture diagnostics
Both liquid culture (MGIT 960) and solid culture (Löwenstein-Jensen) for confirmation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex.
Drug susceptibility testing (DST)
First-line and second-line DST to detect resistance to isoniazid, rifampicin, ethambutol, streptomycin, fluoroquinolones, and injectable agents.
Line probe assays (LPA)
Molecular testing for rapid identification of mycobacterial species and detection of drug resistance mutations.
Gene Xpert MTB/RIF
Rapid molecular diagnostic testing for simultaneous TB detection and rifampicin resistance screening.
Smear microscopy
Fluorescence and Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) microscopy for initial screening and diagnosis.
Blood culture capacity
Specialised blood culture diagnostics for disseminated TB and TB/HIV co-infection cases.
Drug-Resistant TB Surveillance and Research
NHRTI plays a critical role in drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) surveillance through:
Genomics-based surveillance
In collaboration with the Ministry of Health under the NTB program, ZNPHI and other partners, NHRTI participates in whole-genome sequencing initiatives to track transmission patterns and identify drug-resistance mutations in M. tuberculosis strains circulating in the Northern Region.
Culture and DST confirmation
All presumptive DR-TB cases from the three provinces are referred to NHRTI’s reference laboratory for confirmatory testing before treatment initiation.
Operational research on DR-TB outcomes
NHRTI researchers conduct research on risk factors, treatment outcomes, and survival rates for DR-TB patients, informing national treatment guidelines and patient management protocols.
Drug-resistant TB in cattle
Research has also detected MDR-TB strains in cattle (M. bovis), raising concerns about zoonotic transmission that NHRTI is investigating.
Training and Capacity Building in TB
Under its expanded mandate, NHRTI has a formal training function. In the TB domain, this includes:
Healthcare worker training
NHRTI collaborates with CIDRZ, other partners and the Ministry of Health to train clinicians, nurses, and laboratory personnel in the management of drug-resistant TB, biosafety and biosecurity, and the use of new diagnostic technologies.
Partnerships with academic institutions
NHRTI maintains research partnerships with the Copperbelt University’s Michael Chilufya Sata School of Medicine and other Zambian universities, providing mentorship and supervision for undergraduate and postgraduate students conducting TB-related research.
Supporting the full TB care cascade
The National Health Research and Training Institute occupies a critical position in Zambia’s tuberculosis response. As the Northern Region’s sole TB reference laboratory, it is a key pillar of the diagnostic and referral network serving the Copperbelt, Luapula, and Northwestern provinces. Its services range from advanced culture and DST diagnostics to drug-resistant TB surveillance, supporting the full TB care cascade from community screening and confirmatory diagnosis to treatment monitoring.
