African Society for Laboratory Medicine

African Society for Laboratory Medicine
Name	African Society for Laboratory Medicine
Abbreviation	ASLM
Formation	2011
Headquarters	Johannesburg
Region	Africa
Leader title	CEO

Contents

African Society for Laboratory Medicine The African Society for Laboratory Medicine is a Pan-African professional organization focused on strengthening public health laboratory systems across Africa. It engages stakeholders from national ministries such as the Ministry of Health (Nigeria), multilateral agencies like the World Health Organization, academic institutions including the University of Cape Town, and funders such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to advance diagnostics, surveillance, and laboratory workforce development. The society collaborates with continental bodies like the African Union and regional economic communities such as the Economic Community of West African States to align laboratory priorities with disease control initiatives exemplified by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief.

History

Founded in 2011, the society emerged from consultations involving stakeholders from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Imperial College London, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, and national reference laboratories in countries such as South Africa, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Early milestones included convening conferences that brought together representatives from the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Médecins Sans Frontières, the Wellcome Trust, and representatives of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to address laboratory gaps highlighted during outbreaks like the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa (2014–2016) and the 2018–20 Kivu Ebola epidemic. The organization built upon frameworks proposed at forums such as the International Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and aligned with initiatives like the International Health Regulations (2005) and the Joint External Evaluation process.

The society's mission articulates goals consistent with strategic documents from the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa, the African Development Bank, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Objectives include strengthening laboratory networks between national reference centers like the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (South Africa), improving diagnostic capacity for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, and emerging threats like COVID-19 pandemic and Lassa fever, and promoting workforce development through certification programs similar to those at the Royal College of Pathologists and training partnerships with universities like Makerere University and Stellenbosch University.

Governance structures reflect models used by organizations such as the African Union Commission, the Global Fund, and the World Health Organization. Leadership has included executives and board members drawn from institutions like the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control, the Kenya Medical Research Institute, the National Health Laboratory Service (South Africa), and international partners such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Advisory bodies include experts affiliated with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and the Pasteur Institute. Governance emphasizes collaboration with regulatory bodies such as the Medicines Control Council (South Africa) and accreditation partners like South African National Accreditation System and ISO-aligned organizations.

Programs encompass workforce certification, laboratory accreditation, quality management systems, and external quality assessment schemes modeled after programs at the World Health Organization and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. Activities include annual conferences similar to events hosted by the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine, regional workshops in collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, and technical assistance to national laboratories in countries including Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Cameroon. The society runs initiatives for point-of-care diagnostics aligned with efforts by UNICEF, supports surveillance platforms used by the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network, and promotes research partnerships involving institutions like Harvard University, Oxford University, and Karolinska Institutet.

Partners span bilateral agencies such as United States Agency for International Development, philanthropic organizations like the Wellcome Trust and Gates Foundation, multilateral institutions including the World Health Organization and the African Development Bank, and non-governmental organizations such as Clinton Health Access Initiative and Médecins Sans Frontières. Funding sources include grants from the Global Fund, awards from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and cooperative agreements with agencies like the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Institutional collaborations involve laboratories affiliated with University of Nairobi, Cheikh Anta Diop University, and regional reference centers like the Institut Pasteur de Dakar.

Achievements include advancing laboratory accreditation for national bodies, expanding access to diagnostics for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria, and supporting rapid laboratory response during outbreaks including the Ebola virus epidemic in West Africa (2014–2016), the West African meningitis outbreaks, and the COVID-19 pandemic in Africa. The society contributed to workforce development through training programs akin to those at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and certification schemes inspired by the Royal College of Pathologists, and influenced policy dialogues at forums such as the African Union Summit and meetings of the World Health Assembly. Its collaborations with research centers like KEMRI, Institut Pasteur, and National Institute for Communicable Diseases have supported peer-reviewed studies published by authors affiliated with Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Imperial College London, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Category:Medical and health organisations based in Africa