Background
Measles and rubella elimination is a priority goal for the WHO European Region, as reflected in the European Immunization Agenda 2030. High-quality, comprehensive epidemiological surveillance of disease cases, carried out with the support of laboratory services, is essential for successful disease monitoring and evaluation of efforts to ensure progress towards measles and rubella elimination. The WHO Regional Office for Europe coordinates the European Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network (MR LabNet) with the support of its 4 top-tier members, the Regional Reference Laboratories (RRL) in Berlin, Luxembourg and Moscow and the Global Specialized Laboratory (GSL) in London.
Objectives
The annual RRL/GSL meeting convenes senior experts from these laboratories together with representatives from the European Regional Verification Commission for Measles and Rubella Elimination, partner organizations and WHO. It provides a platform to present global and regional laboratory updates, exchange technical information and present latest research and development results in laboratory-supported measles and rubella surveillance. Specific objectives for this meeting are to:
- take stock of global and regional laboratory developments relevant to measles and rubella surveillance;
- review MR LabNet performance, including external quality assessment and reporting to WHO databases;
- exchange technical expertise and operational insights among top-tier MR LabNet laboratories;
- discuss and plan interventions to strengthen laboratory network capacity and skills as needed;
- evaluate the transition to the WHO Immunization Information System (WIISE) for laboratory reporting of measles and rubella, identify best practices and challenges;
- provide recommendations to optimize laboratory contribution to national and regional elimination verification processes;
- present research and innovation in molecular and serological diagnostics; and
- brainstorm on laboratory policies and future orientations for MR LabNet.