Managing Dangerous Pathogens : African Lab Technicians Enhance Capacity

The continuing emergence and re-emergence of dangerous pathogens of epidemic potential such as Ebola, Marburg, Rift Valley fever, Plague, Monkeypox, Lassa Fever, SARS, Tularaemia, Borreliosis, Melioidosis, etc is a permanent threat to the health of populations around the world especially on the African continent. This is a major challenge to global health security. As such, the World Health Organisation (WHO) Emerging and Dangerous Pathogens Laboratory Network (EDPLN), began meeting in Yaounde yesterday, August 13, 2019, with main objective to enhance networking of public health reference laboratories for prevention, preparedness, early detection, investigation and timely response of outbreak of such diseases, including high-threat infectious hazards. 
Opening the workshop which gathered laboratory technicians from 14 African countries was the Secretary General at the Ministry of Public Health, Sinata Koulla-Shiro. He said discussions will help improve the networking of public health reference laboratories for the prevention, preparation, early detection, and real-time response of emerging diseases at high risk of infection. 
The Resident Representative of WHO, Habimana Phanuel said the Regional Emerging and Dangerous Pathogens Laboratory Network (EDPLN) was established in August 2...