ASLM Congratulates Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on his Election as Director General of the World Health Organization.
The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) applauds the election of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the post of Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), the first African elected to this important global health leadership position.
Dr Tedros has contributed significantly to the advancement of health in Ethiopia. He expanded health care access to tens of millions of Ethiopians, achieving ambitious health targets and setting Ethiopia on a path to sustain and build on this success. He is also well known for advocating and supporting the improvement of the national laboratory system, making Ethiopia among the first countries in Africa with a strong roadmap for quality laboratory system strengthening.
“The ASLM family is extremely proud of Dr Tedros, not only because he is the first African to hold this post, but also because he is a key founding member of ASLM. In fact, he was among the keynote speakers at the inaugural meeting of ASLM in Addis Ababa in March 2011,” said Dr Ali Elbireer, ASLM’s CEO.
In honour of this historic occasion, ASLM publicly recommits itself to the goals of its ASLM2020 strategic vision – improved patient care and disease prevention and control through a strengthened laboratory workforce, laboratory accreditation, harmonised pan-African regulatory systems and strengthened national and regional laboratory networks. ASLM extends its appreciation to Dr Tedros for his critical support in the establishment of ASLM and wishes him a successful tenure at the helm of the WHO.
“Dr Tedros is an inspiring leader with proven knowledge and the skills to lead the advancement of health for millions,” said Dr Tsehaynesh Messele, the founding CEO of ASLM, who previously worked with Dr Tedros. “He is, indeed, the health leader the world needs.”
ASLM looks forward to working together with the WHO and the new Director General both in Africa and globally to establish quality laboratory systems, which are the center piece of effective preparedness and response in the event of epidemics.
Photo: Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus speaking in his capacity as the Minister of Health for Ethiopia at the inauguration of ASLM in March 2011 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. [Credit: Dr Tsehaynesh Messele]
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Established in 2011, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine is a pan-African professional body endorsed by the African Union with support from the World Health Organization, the African Union, the United States (US) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the US President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the World Bank, the Clinton Foundation, UNAIDS, and others. ASLM is focused on improving healthcare by strengthening diagnostic testing. Laboratory testing is pivotal in disease diagnosis, epidemiological surveillance, outbreak investigations, initiation and monitoring of treatment, as well as research and development. ASLM will address these challenges by working collaboratively with governments, national, regional and international organizations, implementing partners, the private sector and other agencies to achieve its Strategic Vision goals by 2020.