The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspended the accreditation of Africa’s only anti-doping laboratory. The Bloemfontein Lab in South Africa is suspended for multiple non-conformities, not in line with WADA’s standards.
WADA announced that it suspended the accreditation starting March 1. Its accreditation is suspended due to multiple non-compliance. In a statement, WADA said it had suspended the accreditation for up to six months.
We have suspended the accreditation of the South African Doping Control Laboratory in Bloemfontein, South Africa, for a period of up to six months. The suspension, effective from 1 March, 2024, comes after multiple non-conformities with international standards. Read more here 👉…
— WADA (@wada_ama) March 4, 2024
The Bloemfontein lab had been placed under restrictions in September 2023, while other anti-doping activities were permitted to continue.
“The suspension prohibits the laboratory from conducting any anti-doping activities, including the analysis of urine and blood samples, with the exception of analyses related to the haematology module of the Athlete Biological Passport,” WADA’s media release stated.
The lab will be allowed to apply for reinstatement once it has demonstrated that all identified non-conformities have been addressed.
“This is to ensure the continued high quality of sample analysis, which will also help to maintain athletes’ confidence in the process and the anti-doping system as a whole,” WADA concluded.
