Goal
Strengthened clinical and public health laboratory systems and networks through continued improvements in workforce competency to assure quality and safety.
Strategic Objectives
- Support countries and regions to map existing laboratory systems to defined requirements of a tiered national laboratory system (specifically quality, standards and biosafety), and networks (with specific linkages to disease surveillance and clinical care for both public and private sectors.
- Assist countries in developing comprehensive national laboratory strategic and implementation plans and enabling policies, which include regulations of laboratory diagnostic testing and secure and safe handling of highly dangerous pathogens.
- Support Africa CDC RCCs and national-level laboratory networks to implement modern advanced molecular technologies and multiplex pathogen assays.
- Support the introduction of a patient-centred approach for integrated point-of-care diagnostic testing for syndromic management and surveillance at the community level.
- Develop and manage strain banks as repositories for diagnostics and vaccine development for emerging and re-emerging pathogens.
- Support laboratory workforce development, which may include the creation of a field laboratory training programme.
