Kampala, 25th July 2016 - The Global Laboratory Initiative Africa (GLI-Africa) has introduced a framework to coordinate partners and activities basing on the Tuberculosis laboratory diagnostic network in the African region. This was at a three day meeting held recently at Speke Resort Munyonyo in Kampala.

In a declaration made at the end of the meeting, participants agreed to improve coordination with countries to identify priority support areas; use of effective partnerships and coordinated technical assistance; and increased resource mobilization through a deliberate set of essential regional intervention for strengthened diagnostic networks.

In Africa today, East and Southern Africa countries have the highest TB incidence, the TB/HIV co-infection is at 34%, and mortality and high MDR TB prevalence are also very high.  Therefore, the critical role of laboratories in the post 2015 era is to rapidly and accurately detect TB and the drug resistant strain.

Opening the meeting, Minister of State for Health in charge of General Duties Hon. Sarah Opendi underscored the need for functional TB laboratory systems that are able to support National TB programs to deliver timely diagnosis as well as bacteriological follow up tests. She noted that while TB is preventable and even curable, the importance of prevention to ensure that drug susceptible TB is properly managed to prevent Multi Drug Resistant TB and its socio-economic consequences is paramount.

The WHO Country Representative Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu highlighted the critical role played by laboratories in the post 2015 era to rapidly and accurately detect TB especially the drug resistant strain. He highlighted the critical role of the Uganda National TB laboratory which was accredited by WHO to become a supranational laboratory in 2013. This status gives Uganda’s National TB Laboratory the mandate to support laboratory capacity building efforts in 11 African countries.

The United States Ambassador to Uganda Ms. Deborah Malac highlighted her government’s contribution to the TB agenda, reporting that between 2010 and 2015 the U.S. Government invested more than $3.1 billion to combat TB globally. She pledged her government’s commitment to work with all partners to support sustainable efforts to curb the TB epidemic throughout Africa.

The meeting was attended by delegates from Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. These included laboratory technicians, TB Program Managers, Civil Society Organizations, academia and innovators.

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For more information, please contact:

EDMOND MWEBEMBEZI, Email:emwebembezi [at] gmail.com (emwebembezi[at]gmail[dot]com)

Below:

01 The delegates from Africa, Europe, ASIA and the Americas at the workshop

02. Workshop organizers in a group photo with the US Ambassador Ms. Deborah Malac , Min. of State for Health Hon. Sarah Opendi and WHO Uganda Country Representative Dr. Wondimagegnehu Alemu at the GLI Africa Workshop