Uganda is in the process of establishing its own accreditation body (UGANAS) in order to reduce accreditation costs while also improving regional capacity to improve trade and product quality. The Ministry of Health is currently working with the JCRC/SPHLS project, MOTIC`s National Accreditation Focal Point (NAFP), and UNBS to implement the National Accreditation Services Act. Implementing national accreditation services ensures the competence and impartiality of our conformity assessment service providers, allowing them to become internally recognized.

The JCRC/SPHLS project helped UGANAS get started by providing computers, stationery, and furniture. Furthermore, SPHLS organizes periodic meetings of the National Laboratory Accreditation Steering Committee (NLASC) and leads processes for developing normative tools and documents (policy manual, website, logo) to help the local accreditation body function.

The project procured 30 different ISO standards that are applicable to the NLASC. These standards serve as reference materials for the development of UGANAS guidelines, policies, and manuals. SPHLS will continue to work with MoTIC and MoH to complete all outstanding policy documents, SOPs, and guidelines, procure and license standards to UGANAS, train, and benchmark other accreditation bodies, train auditors in ISO 17011, hold periodic meetings, engage various stakeholders to develop the UGANAS strategic plan, and compile a costed implementation plan for all proposed UGANAS activities.