Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) Deputy Director responsible for Laboratory Services Joseph Bangoh has reiterated that strengthening regional capacities in pandemic preparedness is key to tackling health problems in Southern Africa.
He was speaking in Blantyre at the opening of a conference for health experts working in laboratory and surveillance services in countries implementing the Southern Africa Tuberculosis and Health Systems Support (SATBHSS).
The conference which is conducted at a time when countries continue to grapple with effects of Covid 19 on health systems, aims at leveraging gains made so far under the project so that they act as a conduit for recovery process.
“We want to share best practices on strengthening laboratory services and surveillance capacities amid Covid 19 pandemic challenges and also look at these services within and across borders,” said Bangoh
ECSA- Health Community Senior Lab specialist, Dr. Mohammed Ali Mohammed challenged the gathering to work on improving coverage and quality of diagnostics as well as disease surveillance in the project implementing countries as well as those implementing the ECSA Strengthening Pandemic Preparedness (SPP) project.
Participants are drawn Lesotho, Mozambique, Zambia and host Malawi, as well as Tanzania and Rwanda.
SATBHSS is a project funded by the World Bank with an aim of improving coverage and quality of key TB control and occupational lung disease services as well as strengthening the regional capacity to manage the burden of TB.
