Report on the status of laboratory networks for high threat pathogens in south-eastern European countries (2018)

As part of the support provided to countries by the WHO Health Emergencies Programme to prepare for and respond to emergencies involving high threat pathogens (HTPs), a meeting was held for countries of south-eastern Europe to identify gaps in laboratory capacities and make proposals for solutions. The meeting was implemented through the WHO/Europe Better Labs for Better Health initiative.

Participants included 27 experts in viral and bacterial HTP diagnostics from 11 countries, including 7 countries of the South-eastern Europe Health Network (SEEHN), together with representatives of international laboratory networks (EMERGE, EVD-LabNet and MediLabSecure) and Connecting Organizations for Regional Disease Surveillance (CORDS). The meeting was organized in collaboration with the Southeast European Center for Surveillance and Control of Infectious Diseases (SECID).