Updates February 2019-2020

National laboratory systems

WHO/Europe developed a laboratory test costing tool in collaboration with health professionals from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. This tool enables the accurate and transparent assessment of the costs associated with laboratory testing for cost-effective laboratory administration and appropriate resource allocation.

The quality of 40 national laboratories in 10 countries of the Region improved by 20–25% through the mentoring programme of the Better Labs for Better Health initiative. In addition, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan initiated the development of national laboratory policies and strategies with the support of WHO/Europe.

A new regional Laboratory Task Force has been established to improve the response to outbreaks of high-threat pathogens. It is composed of representatives from the 15 priority countries and territories of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme as well as partners, including WHO collaborating centres and European Union (EU) laboratory networks. Its aim is to help countries improve their diagnostic capacities for the detection of outbreaks caused by high-threat pathogens such as those causing influenza, Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever, West Nile fever or anthrax.

National, regional and global capacities for influenza surveillance were strengthened by national influenza centres (NICs) in Cyprus, North Macedonia, Turkmenistan and Ukraine, which attained the required capacities for formal recognition by WHO. Currently, 46 out of the 53 European Member States have a WHO-recognized NIC.