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RELEASE
REPRESENTATION OF THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATIN – WHO, MOZAMBIQUE
MAPUTO HOST A CONSENSUS MEETING ON HARMONIZATION AND
STANDARDIZATION OF LABORATORY TESTS AND EQUIPMENTS FOR HIV/AIDS,
TUBERCULOSIS AND MALARIA
Maputo, 22 January 2008 - A total of 120 experts and policy makers from 33 countries, including
representatives from Cambodia, Haiti, India, Thailand, Vietnam and 28 Sub-Saharan African countries were
invited in Maputo, Mozambique, from 22 to 24 January to reach a consensus on technical and operational
aspects to guide the necessary steps and procedures for adequate national strategic plans for laboratories.
Under the theme “ Helping to Expand Sustainable Quality Testing to Improve the Care and Treatment of
People infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria” the three objectives of the workshop
were : 1) to review and agree on a list of supplies and tests needed at each level of integrated tiered
laboratory network; 2) to develop a consensus to guide standardization of laboratory equipment at each level
of the laboratory network; 3) to develop a consensus on key considerations to guide maintenance and
service contracts at various levels of the laboratory network.
The meeting was organized by WHO Regional Office for Africa (WHO-AFRO) and the US President
Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), with the support of World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight
AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFTAM), Bill and the Melinda Gates Foundation and Clinton
Foundation.
The opening ceremony of the three-day workshop was chaired by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry
of Health of Mozambique, Dr. Jorge Tomo, who emphasized the importance of this meeting taking into
account the status of the clinical laboratory testing, harmonization and standardization in Mozambique and
the Sub-Saharan Africa Region.
The World Health Organization (WHO) Representative for Mozambique welcomed the participants and
emphasized that the theme of the meeting “is of course particularly important … HIV/AIDS,
Tuberculosis and Malaria are the three priority diseases that must be tackled properly in order to
improve the health of millions of people infected and affected by these borderless diseases”
In addition he stressed that “The meeting will provide the platform for us to further discuss and agree
on how to expand sustainable quality testing for these diseases and other debilitating health
conditions and build and /or strengthen efficient and effective laboratory network using standardized
and harmonized laboratory equipments and tools at all levels”
Other partners, including PEPFAR, GFTAM, World Bank, Gates Foundation and Clinton Foundation
representatives expressed their willingness to continue to work with WHO and to assist countries to
overcome the impact of the diseases.
This event was a follow up to two other African laboratory network meetings (Addis Ababa in November
2006 and Harare in September 2001), organized by WHO-AFRO and CDC, aimed at strengthening
For more information, please contact: WHO Telephone: 258- 21492733 or moreirag@mz.afro.mz.org
laboratory systems in order to deliver quality services for universal access to HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria
prevention, care and treatment services.
There is a global agreement that adequate diagnosis, care and treatment of persons affected by HIV/AIDS,
TB and Malaria requires the strengthening of health care systems, particularly the laboratory services. One
of the key elements of this effort is moving towards the standardization of laboratory tests and equipments
needed at each level in the health system within a country.
Particularly in Africa, where the resources are limited and the burden of HIV, TB and malaria are usually
high, the lack of adequate laboratory capacity is now an important challenge to scale up and sustain actions
for prevention, treatment and care for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria.
At the end of the meeting, participants agreed to address this challenge, through the development of national
strategic laboratory plans and policies, which include standardization and harmonization of laboratory test
supplies and equipments. A written declaration that establishes the global commitment of strengthening
integrated national laboratory systems in a Public Health perspective was also elaborated.
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