Laboratory task force for high threat pathogens

Strong laboratory capacities are essential components in the preparedness and response to health emergencies. International collaborative networks of public health laboratories coordinated by WHO, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and other international organizations are important platforms for sharing information and expertise. They can also provide support as a system for the referral of diagnostic specimens for confirmatory testing.

Such international networks are therefore an important tool for strengthening national laboratory capacities relating to outbreaks caused by high threat pathogens (HTPs), such as influenza, coronaviruses (e.g. SARS, MERS and the 2019 novel coronavirus), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever, anthrax and brucellosis.

Currently, laboratory networks include SHARP, Strengthened International Health Regulations and Preparedness in the EU; EVD-LabNet, a European expert laboratory network for emerging viral diseases; and the regional influenza laboratory network.

However, among the WHO Health Emergencies Programme (WHE) priority countries in the WHO European Region, some countries have not previously participated in international laboratory networks for HTPs, which has represented a key gap in the Region’s preparedness.

Strengthening diagnostic capacities through regional collaboration

WHO Regional Office for Europe’s European Regional Laboratory Task Force for High Threat Pathogens (known as the Lab Task Force) addresses this gap by helping countries in the Region improve their surveillance, preparedness and response capacities. The countries considered priorities in the Region for the Lab Task Force’s work are mainly in eastern and south-eastern Europe and central Asia.

The Lab Task Force focuses on:

• facilitating national and international coordination and knowledge transfer related to laboratory preparedness and capacity-building for high threat pathogens, including the exchange of information, data and specimens between national and international reference laboratories;
• supporting the interaction of the countries with existing regional (European Union) and global networks;
• identifying and addressing areas for improvement in diagnostic capacity for the WHO European Region, including the assessment of national capacity, training needs, external quality assurance, the introduction of new or improved diagnostics, biosafety, and sample referrals and shipment;
• providing technical advice on specific projects; and
• promoting and supporting quality and safety management implementation.

The Lab Task Force demonstrates the commitment of countries and international partners to advancing laboratory preparedness and response to high threat pathogens through regional collaboration.

The Lab Task Force was established at a preparatory meeting held in Istanbul in January 2019 that discussed the Terms of Reference for the Lab Task Force and its associated partners; established a laboratory capacity and capability reviewing tool; discussed the need for and establishment of External Quality Assessments (EQA) for prioritized HTPs; and discussed the future networking activities of the Lab Task Force. The meeting convened 19 experts in high threat pathogen diagnostics from 14 priority countries, as well as representatives from 6 international networks and 3 WHO collaborating centres.

The WHO Regional Office for Europe provides the Lab Task Force with Secretariat support through the Better Labs for Better Health initiative.