Laboratory Network

Co-leaders: France (IP), Turkey (Refik)

Team members: Croatia (IPH), Cyprus (MoH), Institut Pasteur International Network, Italy (INMI), Italy (Padua-GH), Tunisia (MoH)

Background:

In order to enhance the detection of common public health threats across the Mediterranean, the existing facilities and diagnostic capacities available in the EpiSouth area should be involved and valorizes.

With this aim, a Regional Laboratory Network will be established with selected laboratories to support the priority diagnostic needs and to facilitate the interaction with public health institutions and officials based on national reference laboratories, and the Institut Pasteur Network.

Objectives:

To facilitate common threats detection by the establishment of a Regional Laboratories Network based on available resources in Mediterranean and South East Europe by mapping them, assessing their diagnostic and confirmation capacity, facilitating rapid access to laboratory facilities, interacting with public health institutions and officials based at the national reference laboratories in the participating countries.

Activities:

Identify priority areas of action (pathogens and corresponding diseases);
Organise an experts meeting to identify criteria for selection of the regional laboratories and make links with the existing Networks of laboratories;
Identify the laboratories corresponding to the identified criteria, and interested in contributing to the EpiSouth initiative;
Identify the needs of laboratories in terms of diagnostic capacity for priority diseases in the region: human, technical and organizational;
Develop a comprehensive training program for capacity building and implement training activities in this framework;
Explore the possibility of a sharing process of laboratory samples and reagents.