This week, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), in collaboration with Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), is hosting a consultative meeting in Gaborone, Botswana, from 26-30 August, 2024, to develop a strategic framework for laboratory capacity mapping in Africa. An 11-member expert team from Ethiopia, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe is leading the workshop, with the goal of drafting a harmonized framework for laboratory mapping in Africa.
This framework will incorporate the implementation of ASLM’s Laboratory Mapping Program (LabMaP) to guide and improve laboratory mapping efforts across the continent, ensuring consistent communication with African Union Member States and stakeholders as the initiative progresses. LabMaP seeks to establish a system for the collection, storage, and analysis of GIS-linked data on laboratory capacity, systems, and networks across the continent. LabMaP offers a solution for countries ready to inventory geo-located information on their laboratory systems, supporting evidence-based decision making.
Dr. Talkmore Maruta, Acting Director of Programs at ASLM, highlighted the importance of this framework, stating, “under its 5-year strategy, ASLM has prioritized network and laboratory systems strengthening. This consultative meeting aligns perfectly with that strategy, and LabMaP is one of many initiatives aimed at achieving our vision for leadership at the national level to digitally visualize network capacities for informed decision making.”
Mr. Nshimba Mwansa, Laboratory Information Officer at the Ministry of Health in Zambia, emphasized that the framework will help member states coordinate their laboratory mapping efforts and optimize their networks with clear goals and performance monitoring.
This workshop is a critical step in defining LabMaP’s strategic priorities for phase 2 of the program, accelerating ASLM’s goal of strengthening laboratory networks and systems to enhance clinical and public health functions across Africa.