ACRN’s central research laboratory has been accredited following an on-site inspection of its quality systems and laboratory operations
HARARE, Zimbabwe, 16 July 2026 — The central research laboratory of the Africa Clinical Research Network (ACRN), the Infectious Disease Research Laboratory (IDRL), based in Harare, Zimbabwe, has been awarded accreditation by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) Accreditation Committee following a recent on-site inspection.
Established in 2012, IDRL supports clinical trials and advances infectious disease diagnostics across Africa. The laboratory provides scientific expertise and infrastructure that contribute to the delivery of high-quality clinical research through ACRN’s wider research platform.
The CAP Laboratory Accreditation Program uses a peer-inspection model to assess the systems supporting laboratory quality and reliability. During the inspection, practising pathology and laboratory medicine professionals reviewed IDRL’s records and quality-control procedures, staff qualifications, equipment, facilities, safety programme and records, and overall management.
IDRL now joins more than 8,000 CAP-accredited facilities worldwide.
“This accreditation reflects the discipline and sustained effort of our laboratory team to build systems that support reliable, high-quality laboratory practice,” said Dr Tariro Makadzange, Chief Executive Officer of ACRN. “It provides independently assessed evidence that the laboratory operates in line with CAP’s rigorous requirements and strengthens our ability to support clinical research that meets the expectations of sponsors, regulators and research partners.”
Laboratory quality is fundamental to credible clinical research. Study teams, sponsors, regulators and other decision-makers depend on laboratory processes that are controlled, documented and consistently applied. Strong quality systems support the reliability and traceability of laboratory results and the research data generated from them.
Professor Rati Ndhlovu, Executive Director of ACRN, said: “For ACRN, this accreditation is an important institutional milestone. It reinforces the quality systems underpinning our research platform and gives partners additional confidence in the laboratory infrastructure supporting studies conducted through the network.”
For sponsors, funders and research partners, CAP accreditation provides an additional, independently assessed indicator of IDRL’s laboratory quality framework. Accreditation complements, but does not replace, protocol-specific validation, regulatory requirements, sponsor oversight or study-level quality assurance.
The accreditation applies specifically to IDRL and its accredited laboratory activities. Maintaining accreditation requires continued compliance with CAP requirements and an ongoing commitment to monitoring, documentation and quality improvement.
The achievement reflects the sustained work of IDRL’s laboratory professionals and colleagues across quality assurance, operations, facilities, safety, procurement, information systems and institutional oversight.
About ACRN
The Africa Clinical Research Network is an African-led clinical research platform built to strengthen and expand the capacity for high-quality clinical trials on the continent. ACRN combines a hybrid site management organization with selected clinical research organization services, supporting a preferred provider network of clinical research sites across 14 African countries. The platform invests in regulatory, laboratory, data management and clinical operations infrastructure, while strengthening the capacity of African investigators and trial staff, and building a pipeline of studies across key therapeutic areas. ACRN’s mission is to ensure that the science informing healthcare in Africa is generated, led and owned in Africa.
Media Contact
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Email: coms@acrnhealth.com
About the College of American Pathologists
With over 23,000 laboratory participants, in addition to accreditation, the CAP offers proficiency testing/external quality assessment (PT/EQA) programmes, quality improvement tools, and cancer protocols and evidence-based guidelines to ensure excellence in all areas across the laboratory. Built on a foundation of pathologist expertise, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) partners with laboratories worldwide to elevate the quality of laboratory medicine with best-in-class solutions designed to drive operational excellence, achieve diagnostic confidence, and ensure the best patient care.
As the world’s largest organization of board-certified pathologists and leading provider of laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing programs, the College of American Pathologists (CAP) serves patients, pathologists, and the public by fostering and advocating excellence in the practice of pathology and laboratory medicine worldwide.
For more information, visit the CAP Newsroom, CAP.org, and yourpathologist.org to watch pathologists at work and see the stories of the patients who trust them with their care.