Meeting of the European Tuberculosis Laboratory Initiative (ELI) Core Group (Copenhagen, Denmark, 25 February 2016)

The European Tuberculosis Laboratory Initiative (ELI) aims to strengthen tuberculosis (TB) laboratory capacity in the WHO European Region, with a particular focus on the 18 countries of the Region in which addressing TB is a high priority. On 25 February 2016 the first meeting of the renewed ELI Core Group was held in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The specific meeting objectives were:

1. to exchange information and know-how on TB laboratory development and to review and discuss relevant laboratory activities in the Region;
2. to review ELI priority areas; and
3. to reach consensus on at least three ELI priority actions.

Meeting outcomes included strengthened group collaboration arising from the face-to-face discussions and from engagement in the working group process. Following working group and plenary discussions seven ELI priority actions were identified and agreed upon in the three key areas of:

1. developing regional laboratory diagnostic algorithms;
2. laboratory quality management systems; and
3. laboratory maintenance, sample transportation, biosafety and security.