Rising costs and the need for program sustainability are major challenges for health programs, particularly in the context of increasing demands and unpredictable funding landscape. In this quarter, ASLM in collaboration with Africa CDC supported the Ministries of Cameroon and Tunisia to implement their Geographical Information System (GIS Laboratory mapping program (LabMaP). The goal of LabMap is to sustain and optimize laboratory and information sharing systems using GIS-Laboratory mapping for effective and efficient clinical and public health laboratory services for early disease detection and surveillance of public health threats in Africa.
A workshop was held from 17-20th June 2025 in Mbalmayo, Cameroon. The workshop built upon an earlier phase of data collection, utilizing remote training and a self-assessment model, an innovative and sustainable approach to expanding LabMap coverage in country and across Africa. This was a second round of updating the existing data, expanding to more sites and generating evidence for laboratory systems and networks in line with the draft framework for LabMaP systems and network capacities in Africa sustainable solutions requirements. The objective was to identify gaps and generate insights to strengthen Cameroon’s national public laboratory network and support the country’s progress toward universal health coverage and regional health security goals. Cameroon’s journey with LabMap began modestly in 2018, with 13 labs mapped, growing to 360 by 2020 and in the second phase 535 in 2025. This phase adopted a virtual training and self-assessment models—a first for the program—providing participants with access to materials and expert support via the ASLM Academy platform. In this move, Cameroon became the first country to adopt a remote training model for laboratory mapping, ensuring cost-effectiveness and sustainability. This approach enabled data collectors to complete their training remotely, making it a scalable and efficient solution for strengthening laboratory systems. Following training, the team of collectors, visited each site to collect data.
In order to ensure evidence-based laboratory strategic planning, the MOH and stakeholders were equipped with necessary skills to review and generate insights that will inform the next planning circle from 2026, and strengthen priority disease detection, surveillance and responses using existing diagnostic capacities identified across the network and one health sectors. The review of the data covered human health, animal health, and private laboratories. The review assessed both data collected via self-assessment and physical visits. The generation of evidence for planning is an on-going process and is being integrated with Cameroon national structures. It is envisaged that following the generation of the insights, the findings will be shared and validated by the MOH leadership and the Laboratory Technical Working Group prior to using it for strategic planning.
By pioneering the remote training model, integrating self-assessment into data collection, diversifying funding sources and ensuring institutionalising the processes and evidence generated from the from the program within national structures, Cameroon is paving the way for a resilient and responsive laboratory system that will serve as a model for other nations. The program has funded by Gates Foundation through ASLM LabCop, Jhpiego, and Global Fund.
From 16-20th June 2025 Tunisia became the 29th LabMaP member state and the first country to adopt the program in North Africa. This follows a GIS sensitisation workshop held in June 2024 with all the North Africa with Algeria, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia, and Sudan. Additionally, and Western Sahara. The Ministry of Health Tunisia worked identified 20 data collectors with laboratory background ensure quality data and where trained in key components of laboratory mapping such as available workforce, infrastructure, test menu, quality management systems, biosafety and biosecurity, referral system, equipment, supply chain and calibration. Following training, the data collectors were deployed to collect data from 5 sites and have continued to 13 sites after completion of first phase. This phase targeted tertiary laboratories which are critical for diagnosing priority diseases in line with Africa CDC. The data is being reviewed to identify capacity gaps and resources necessary to build ability to test based on national essential diagnostic list norms. It is expected that using sustainable solutions such as self-assessment models, Tunisia will expand the data collection to other sites in their network.
GIS LabMaP is flagship program of Africa CDC and ASLM. Since 2018, data from 5,518 laboratories have been collected across the continent as part of this flagship initiative. The program plays a critical role in supporting early disease detection and surveillance of public health threats in Africa.