The world today is impacted by emergencies on an unprecedented scale. The health, economic, political, and societal consequences of emergencies can be devastating, both in the acute and long term. They have major impacts on the health and well-being of communities, resilience of health systems, stability of national economies, and progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals. Health laboratory strengthening is an essential component of early warning surveillance and response systems and a national core capacity of the International Health Regulations (2005). 

The challenges of lack of effective implementation of national policy on laboratories especially in low and medium-income countries coupled with inadequate funding and poorly trained staff have escalated the vulnerability of such nations to disease outbreaks and potential pandemics. For instance, the emergence and international spread of circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPVs) across multiple countries in Africa and Asia in recent years pose a major challenge to the goal of eradicating all forms of polioviruses.

Currently, eHealth Africa is supporting WHO AFRO to strengthen Global Polio Laboratory Network laboratories through Equipment and consumable procurement, equipment installation, Civil work and IT infrastructure upgrade, and construction of Supply Hubs,  to effectively help the selected countries in Africa to confirm circulating vaccine-derived polioviruses (cVDPV) cases and launch outbreak responses. 

In this vein, the 18th episode of the Insights Webinar will discuss Strengthening Public Health Laboratories for Pandemic Preparedness for a  potential pandemic or disease outbreak, especially in terms of effective diagnostics and surveillance.

We look forward to your contributions in what will be another impactful episode of Insights Webinar!

Register HERE