Minimum operational standards and typology for rapid response mobile laboratories

Overview

Rapid response mobile laboratories are designed for national or international deployment and are used to address laboratory and diagnostic gaps by providing surge capacities during emergencies and throughout all phases of the emergency management cycle.

This publication provides evidence-based guidance and shared terminology for establishing and operationalizing fit-for-purpose mobile laboratories, ensuring coordinated, interoperable, quality, safe, scalable and predictable diagnostic capacities during health emergencies. It presents minimum standards to ensure the quality and safety of operations while encouraging coordination and interoperability with other operational assets during emergencies. The document also proposes a flexible typology that allows for the rapid identification and deployment of diagnostic capacities tailored to specific needs across diverse emergency contexts. This work has been made possible thanks to the shared expertise and lessons learned from the Diagnostic Surge Capacities (DiSC) community of practice, a strategic group within the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN).