During an ECHO Session held on 6 August 2026, Africa CDC and ASLM showcased the evolution of the GIS Laboratory Mapping (LabMap) programme into LabMap 2.0, a comprehensive One Health GIS Intelligence Platform designed to strengthen laboratory intelligence, epidemic preparedness, biosurveillance, and emergency response across Africa. The session demonstrated how geospatial laboratory intelligence is helping countries move beyond static laboratory inventories toward data-driven decision-making that improves access to diagnostics and enhances health security.
Building on the successful launch of the GIS LabMap Framework in 2025, LabMap 2.0 integrates data from human health, animal health, environmental health, food safety, and chemical detection laboratories into a unified intelligence platform. By linking laboratory information with geospatial analysis, countries can identify service gaps, optimize diagnostic networks, strengthen decentralized testing systems, and improve preparedness for priority diseases and public health emergencies.

Presentations from stakeholders including the Ministry of Health Mozambique, UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and Sightsavers highlighted practical applications of laboratory mapping for disease surveillance, Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) programmes, laboratory network optimization, and chemical threat detection. The session reinforced a key message from Africa CDC:”The best response to an outbreak is preparedness.” Through laboratory intelligence, countries can make informed investments that improve diagnostic accessibility, accelerate outbreak detection, and strengthen real-time biosurveillance capabilities.
LabMap 2.0 also supports implementation of the WHO Joint External Evaluation (JEE) and National Action Plans for Health Security by providing actionable evidence for strengthening laboratory systems and public health preparedness. As countries continue to expand laboratory intelligence capabilities, the platform is enabling more equitable access to diagnostic services while supporting preparedness for emerging diseases, NTD elimination efforts, chemical threats, and future outbreaks.

efforts, chemical threats, and future outbreaks.
Supported by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and UKHSA, the programme has mapped more than 5,558 laboratories across 29 African countries. By transforming laboratory data into actionable intelligence, LabMap 2.0 is helping countries build stronger, more resilient health systems and advancing Africa’s collective health security agenda.

Presenters:

· Dr Yao Selom Atrah, Laboratory Systems and Networks Programme Lead, Africa CDC, Ethiopia
· Dr Felix Pinto, Head of Diagnostic Support Services, Ministry of Health, Mozambique
· Andy Tate, Deputy Director NTD Monitoring, Evaluation, Analysis and Insight, Sightsavers
· Michelle Taylor, Tropical Data and Integrated Surveys Project Manager, Sightsavers
· Dr Haydn Cole, Group Leader, UKHSA