Event highlights
21 June 2024
Laboratories are essential lines of defence during disease outbreaks, although their day-to-day work often goes unnoticed. Past outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the importance of strong laboratory leadership to ensure that functional laboratory systems deliver timely and reliable services.
To help build future generations of laboratory leaders in the WHO European Region and globally, WHO has embarked on an innovative effort together with the Association of Public Health Laboratories, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, and the World Organization for Animal Health. The new Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) is designed to provide a comprehensive, competency-based programme focused on laboratory leadership and management.
To this end, 28 laboratory and agriculture-sector experts from the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia), as well as Bulgaria, Croatia, the Republic of Moldova, Romania and Slovenia, came together at a workshop organized for the first time in the Balkans by WHO with support from the CDC.
On 12–13 June in Bled, Slovenia, the experts agreed on a coordinated approach and next steps to implement the GLLP in the Balkan subregion to strengthen health security with a One Health approach.
Ms Joanna Salvi Le Garrec, Technical Officer at WHO/Europe, explained, “Forums like this workshop provide the opportunity to discuss potential approaches to this new health initiative that will support Member States from the Balkans to build and sustain laboratory systems, along with strengthening cross-border and cross-sectoral laboratory networks.”
The GLLP emphasizes a One Health approach, engaging professionals working in human and animal health laboratories, as well as in laboratories with other health functions, such as environmental, agricultural, food and chemical laboratories.
Dr Abebayehu Assefa Mengistu, Coordinator of the WHO Health Emergencies Balkan Hub, highlighted, “Introducing the GLLP for the first time in the Balkans will significantly contribute to strengthening the national laboratory systems in the subregion, addressing a target critical area of health systems across the subregion in line with the Roadmap for Health and Well-being in the Western Balkans (2021–2025).”
In so doing, the GLLP will contribute to empowering and providing tools for laboratory leaders to develop their competencies and advance national laboratory systems to improve health security.
Professor Olga Tagadiuc, Chair of Biochemistry and Clinical Biochemistry at the Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy in the Republic of Moldova, noted that the GLLP offers a unique opportunity to foster and mentor current and emergent laboratory leaders, and ultimately to build, strengthen and sustain national laboratory systems.
“Initiatives like this are also instrumental in bringing together experts across diverse sectors – human health, animal health, food safety and the environment – to collaborate under a One Health approach, addressing current and future challenges faced by humanity,” she added.
What is the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP)?
The GLLP is a unique workforce development initiative led by 6 organizations (the GLLP Partners) working globally in the human, animal and environmental health sectors. The goal of the GLLP is to foster and mentor current and emerging laboratory leaders to build, strengthen and sustain national laboratory systems. The GLLP combines didactic learning with mentorship, practical experience and community building to support individual learning and laboratory systems strengthening.
* All references to Kosovo should be understood to be in the context of the United Nations Security Council resolution 1244 (1999).
Event notice
12 June 2024
Laboratories are essential lines of defence during disease outbreaks, although their day-to-day work often goes unnoticed. Past outbreaks, including the COVID-19 pandemic, have highlighted the importance of strong laboratory leadership to ensure that functional laboratory systems deliver timely and reliable services.
On 12–13 June in Bled, Slovenia, the experts meet to agree on a coordinated approach and next steps to implement the new Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) in the Balkan subregion to strengthen health security with a One Health approach.