TASK FORCE FOR LABORATORY STRENGTHENING IN EUROPE

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TASK FORCE FOR LABORATORY STRENGTHENING IN EUROPE

• Sven Hoffner,
• Scheveningen,
• 31 may 2005

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Background

• At the TAG (Technically Advisory Group for WHO
  EURO) meeting - September 2004, Sinaia
• it was generally agreed upon the urgent need for
  the strengthening the laboratory services in
  EURO.
• it was decided that a Task Force for laboratory
  strengthening should be established

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Establishment of the Laboratory Strengthening
Task Force in the WHO European Region LSTF
EUR

• As recommended by TAG, a meeting took place in
  Copenhagen, 13-14 January 2005
• Objectives, terms of references, suggested
  members and priority activities were discussed

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Main goals

• To strengthen the TB laboratory capacity in the
  WHO-EURO in order to reach the Global Targets and
  the Millennium Development Goals
• To provide guidance to WHO-EURO and TAG on
  strategic and technical aspects of TB laboratory
  diagnostic services.

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TERMS OF REFERENCE (1)

• Act as a technical advisory board for TB
  laboratory related issues in EUR.
• Participate in situational analyses of the
  laboratory services in priority countries to
  identify weaknesses, needs for improvements and
  progress.
• Review relevant international laboratory
  documents, guidelines, standard operating
  procedures and training materials and optimize
  these for European conditions.
• Assist WHO to estimate budget needs necessary
  for carrying out regional and country plans for
  laboratory capacity strengthening.

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TERMS OF REFERENCE (2)

• Identify, advice and contribute to necessary
  training activities to enhance human resources
  capacity for TB laboratory services.
• Suggest a pool of national and international
  qualified laboratory experts to assist countries
  in strengthening their National TB laboratory
  services
• Advocate for a strong laboratory network as a
  cornerstone for effective TB control.
• Other related tasks, as requested by WHO-EURO
  and TAG.

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Organization

• WHO-EURO Laboratory Strengthening Task Force
  (LSTF) is linked to TAG and will consist of 8-10
  laboratory experts from NRLs/ SRLs and WHO
  representatives.
• The LSTF will meet twice per year and can rotate
  every 2-3 years.
• LSTF should be represented at both the EURO TAG
  and the Global Subgroup on Laboratory Capacity
  Strengthening (SLCS).

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LSTF Members
Chairman Assoc. Prof Sven Hoffner, Head of SRL,
Stockholm, Sweden Members Prof Francis
Drobniewski, Head of SRL, London, UK Dr Sabine
Ruesch-Gerdes, Head of SRL, Borstel, Germany Prof
Vladimir Malakhov, Director of Federal System for
Quality Control, Moscow, Russia Dr Vera
Katalinic- Jankovic, Head of NRL, Zagreb,
Croatia Dr Girts Skenders, Head of NRL, Riga,
Latvia Dr Vibek Ostergaard Thomsen Head of NRL,
Copenhagen, Denmark Dr Mohamed Aziz,
WHO-Geneva Secretariat Dr Richard Zaleskis,
(WHO-EURO), Dr Elena Yurasova (WHO-EURO), Dr
Lucica Ditiu (WHO-Romania), Mr Jerod Scholten
(WHO-EURO), Dr Diego Zallocco (WHO-Russia) Repres
entatives of NGOs working in priority countries
will be invited as observers
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PRIORITY COUNTRIES FOR THE LSTF
From DOTS Expansion Plan to Stop TB in the
European Region 2002-2006
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LSTF First Meeting27-28 May, The Hague,
Netherlands
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Objectives of the LSTF meeting

• To approve the composition, chairmanship and
  Terms of References done
• To discuss current situation and major challenges
  and identify strategic directions for laboratory
  strengthening in EURO done
• To identify priority countries/activities
  ongoing
• To discuss HRD and objectives and contents of the
  WHO Advanced Regional Workshop for NRL Managers,
  Riga, June 2005 - done

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WORKPLAN

• To prepare a short statement on the optimal
  laboratory functions tailored to EURO situation (
  high/low TB incidence countries, high MDR,
  increasing HIV, extended laboratory network of
  various quality)
• To revise and adapt the WHO Global Strategy for
  the strengthening of TB Diagnostic services
  2005-2008 according to EURO situation

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WORKPLAN (2)

• To prepare a EURO Status Report on Laboratory
  Quality Assurance System, including Internal
  Quality Control and External Quality Assessment
• To discuss the role of accreditation and
  licensing for the concept of the Total Quality
  Management
• To recommend necessary improvements in this field

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WORKPLAN (3)

• To prepare Status Report on needs in Human
  Resources
• In country staff
• European consultants

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WORKPLAN (4)

• To prepare Status Report on needs in Infection
  Control
• To take part in the Task Force for Wolfheze
  Guidelines for Infection Control in High
  Incidence countries and MDR TB settings

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WORKPLAN (5)

• Literature review (guidelines, scientific papers)
• SNRL update the list and links with NRL
• Operational Research priority topics

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WORKPLAN (6)

• WHO Advanced Regional Workshop for NRL
  Managers, Riga, June 2005
• Participation of heads of NRLs from 17 selected
  EURO countries which will
• give feed back to the LSTF
• - review and discuss the strengths and
  weaknesses in the laboratory services in these
  countries and recommend necessary improvements
• - assess the WHO draft document on Laboratory
  indicators for the monitoring and evaluation of
  TB network diagnostic services

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Questions, comments or suggestions

• Please contact any LSTF member!
• sven.hoffner_at_smi.ki.se
• Thank you!