Event highlights
Global Laboratory Leadership: central Asia experience-sharing meeting
31-10-2023
Participants from Kazakhstan, Republic of Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan gathered in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on 19–20 October 2023 to facilitate the exchange of experiences related to the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) in central Asia and beyond. Attendees also included representatives from WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as online participants from Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine and the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL).
The GLLP is firmly grounded in the One Health approach, with multisectoral representations among facilitators and trainees. The participants of this programme recognize that this fosters collaboration and unifies the various laboratory sectors.
In central Asia, the GLLP – with continuous support and guidance from WHO/Europe – has adopted a distinctive strategy. It focuses on training national trainers to disseminate materials they have personally developed and tailored to the unique context of their respective countries. This approach not only enhances the sustainability of the GLLP but also aligns with the core values of the programme, which are One Health, ownership and sustainability.
During the meeting, consensus emerged regarding the need to establish a networking platform to facilitate the exchange of developed material, approaches and experiences among the GLLP programmes of each central Asian country. It was also agreed that such meetings should be conducted on an annual basis to promote further collaboration and knowledge-sharing.
Event notice
Experience-sharing for the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme in central Asia
19–20 October 2023
WHO has consistently emphasized the need for specialized training tailored to the leadership and management requirements of laboratory directors. In response, in collaboration with key partners such as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH/OIE), and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), WHO has spearheaded the development of the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP).
This innovative initiative is designed to mentor and empower both current and emerging laboratory leaders, fostering the capacity to build, fortify and perpetuate robust national laboratory systems.
Kazakhstan successfully implemented the GLLP for its first cohort during 2020–2021 and has now embarked on the second cohort. Concurrently, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are in the initial phase of delivering the GLLP, while Uzbekistan is scheduled to commence the programme in 2024.
The experiences and insights gained from these endeavours are invaluable, prompting a keen interest in sharing the approaches employed and drafting preliminary lessons learned. With this objective in mind, experts, facilitators and participants of the WHO GLLP are convening for an experience-sharing meeting in central Asia. This important event will take place on 19–20 October 2023 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The meeting aims to foster collaborative discussions, exchange best practices, and collectively advance the knowledge and capabilities of laboratory leaders in the region.