SALY, Senegal | 14–18 September 2026
The West African Health Organisation (WAHO), in collaboration with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), is convening a Management and Leadership Training Workshop on Quality Management Systems (QMS) to strengthen the leadership, governance and managerial capacity of laboratory leaders across West Africa.
The five-day workshop is designed to equip laboratory leaders with the knowledge and practical tools needed to champion, implement and sustain effective QMS towards accreditation, while strengthening institutional ownership of quality improvement.
The training responds to persistent challenges in sustaining QMS improvements across laboratories, where weak leadership structures and limited managerial oversight can undermine long-term quality gains, even where technical capacity is strong.
Participants are being equipped in strategic leadership, QMS implementation, ISO 15189:2022 requirements, governance, risk management, performance monitoring, resource mobilisation and continuous quality improvement. The workshop also promotes accountability, teamwork, staff motivation, peer learning and the development of practical institutional action plans to advance accreditation readiness.
In opening remarks, Mr Kayode Akanbi, representing the Director General of WAHO, emphasized that laboratories are fundamental to disease diagnosis, surveillance, patient management, policymaking, and preparedness and response to public health emergencies. He highlighted that strong laboratory systems require more than technical expertise and infrastructure, underscoring the importance of effective leadership, sound management, appropriate governance and a sustained culture of quality.
Speaking on behalf of PROALAB, Dr Olivier Manigart, representative of the Director General, emphasized that sustainable laboratory excellence goes beyond infrastructure and technical expertise. He underscored the importance of strong leadership, effective governance, competent teams and empowering laboratory leaders to delegate responsibilities and build lasting quality systems.
Representing ASLM, Dr Juliana Ndasi, Portfolio Lead, highlighted the need for Africa’s next laboratory quality revolution to move beyond short-term projects towards sustainable, nationally owned pathways that institutionalise continuous quality, strengthen accreditation and One Health systems, and secure the leadership, financing, workforce and innovation needed to sustain excellence.
In his opening remarks, Prof Becaye Fall, representing the Honourable Minister of Health of the Republic of Senegal, emphasized that the true value of the workshop will be reflected in stronger governance and more competent laboratory leadership, transforming laboratory excellence into a sustainable foundation for stronger health systems, health security and better health outcomes across Africa.
The workshop forms part of the broader collaboration between WAHO and ASLM to strengthen laboratory capacity and QMS across the ECOWAS region. Through the PROALAB project, supported by the Government of Germany through KfW, efforts are focused on strengthening laboratory networks and epidemiological services across West Africa.
By strengthening leadership and management at the institutional level, the workshop aims to help laboratories sustain quality diagnostics, maintain compliance with evolving standards, strengthen accreditation readiness and enhance preparedness for public health emergencies.