The IHR defines core capacities related to surveillance, response, preparedness, risk communication, human resources, laboratory and coordination.
For both hospitals, aggregate hospital expenditure data were obtained from the hospitals' Mid-Term Expenditure Framework Reports, as well as from human resources, laboratory, pharmacy, and stores records.
Implementing treatment as a prevention strategy will have financial costs associated with it in terms of drugs, human resources, laboratory monitoring, and evaluation.
Although it has been noted that dispensaries have significant shortage of human resource, laboratory space and supplies, it will be convenient to deploy and provide laboratory HIV testing for VCT at dispensaries.
Current ART scale-up in developing countries is increasing the demand for HIV testing, especially through decentralized services in peripheral areas where lack of human resources and laboratory infrastructures are very common.
These core capacities include legislation and financing, national and international communication, preparedness, human resources, and laboratory resources.
The core capacities include the national legislation, policy and financing, coordination and national focal point communication, surveillance, response, preparedness, risk communication, human resources, and laboratory.
Deficiencies in human resources and laboratory services assessed as part of this study impact a wide range of health services beyond CVDs.
The framework focuses on 4 of the core capacities (human resources, surveillance, laboratory, and response) and builds on WHO's IHR Monitoring Framework by defining simple standards for these capacities (4 ).
Unfortunately, the health-care infrastructure in developing countries often prohibits successful implementation of organised conventional cytological screening due to lack of financial support, professional human resources and laboratory services (Vizcaino et al, 2000; Sankaranarayanan et al, 2004).
Therefore health system preparedness in form of trained human resources, functional laboratories and well stocked pharmacies are essential in primary care facilities.
