ASM LabCap’s contributions to disease surveillance and the International Health Regulations (2005)

Bibliographic Data

ID15379774
AuthorsSteven Specter (University of South Florida, corresponding author), Lily Schuermann (American Society for Microbiology), Celestin Hakiruwizera (American Society for Microbiology), M T Sow (American Society for Microbiology), Mah-Séré Sow
Year2010
Volume10
IssueSuppl 1
PagesS7-S7
Publication date2010-01-01
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBMC Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1471-2458 • E-ISSN: 1471-2458
PublisherBioMed Central (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1186/1471-2458-10-s1-s7
PMID21143829
PMCIDPMC3005579
OpenAlexW2094291734
LanguageEN
Citations received9
References cited1

The revised International Health Regulations [IHR(2005)], which requires the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop core capacities to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health threats, is bringing new challenges for national and international surveillance systems. As more countries move toward implementation and/or strengthening of their infectious disease surveillance programs, the strengthening of clinical microbiology laboratories becomes increasingly important because they serve as the first line responders to detect new and emerging microbial threats, re-emerging infectious diseases, the spread of antibiotic resistance, and the possibility of bioterrorism. In fact, IHR(2005) Core Capacity #8, "Laboratory", requires that laboratory services be a part of every phase of alert and response.Public health laboratories in many resource-constrained countries require financial and technical assistance to build their capacity. In recognition of this, in 2006, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) established an International Laboratory Capacity Building Program, LabCap, housed under the ASM International Board. ASM LabCap utilizes ASM's vast resources and its membership's expertise-40,000 microbiologists worldwide-to strengthen clinical and public health laboratory systems in low and low-middle income countries. ASM LabCap's program activities align with HR(2005) by building the capability of resource-constrained countries to develop quality-assured, laboratory-based information which is critical to disease surveillance and the rapid detection of disease outbreaks, whether they stem from natural, deliberate or accidental causes.ASM LabCap helps build laboratory capacity under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and under a sub-contract with the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Successful activities of ASM LabCap have occurred throughout Africa, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. In addition, ASM LabCap coordinates efforts with international agencies such as the WHO in order to maximize resources and ensure a unified response, with the intended goal to help build integrated disease surveillance and response capabilities worldwide in compliance with HR(2005)'s requirements

Capacity building · Disease · Disease surveillance · Economic growth · Environmental health · Infectious disease (medical specialty · International Health Regulations · Public health · Public health surveillance · Genetics, Bioinformatics, and Biomedical Research · Medicine · Vibrio bacteria research studies · Zoonotic diseases and public health