The use of dried tube specimens of Plasmodium falciparum in an external quality assessment programme to evaluate health worker performance for malaria rapid diagnostic testing in healthcare centres in Togo.

The use of DTS for a malaria PT programme was the first of its kind ever conducted in Togo. The ease of use and stability of the DTS illustrates that this type of samples can be considered for the assessment of staff competency. The implementation of quality management systems, refresher training and expanded PT at remote testing facilities are essential elements to improve the quality of malaria diagnosis.