A well-established robust Public Health Laboratory network (PHLN) is critical for effective disease detection, monitoring, and response to complement Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR). In a continuous effort to strengthen the PHLN and IDSR in Pakistan, UKHSA’s International Health Regulations Strengthening Project (IHR-SP) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) in Pakistan jointly organised a meeting bringing together public health labs and surveillance focal points at national, provincial, and regional level, along with health department representatives in Islamabad on 5th October 2023.

The meeting was jointly chaired by the Pakistan NIH Chief Executive Officer and the UKHSA's IHR-SP country lead in Pakistan (pictured right), and its objectives were;

  1. To share provincial updates from Provincial Public Health Laboratories (PHLs) with a specific focus on technical capacity, structure, and governance along with challenges, limitations, opportunities, and ways forward
  2. To bring together all important stakeholders of IDSR implementation processes i.e. surveillance, public health reference labs and provincial health departments
  3. To deliberate on joint working to further strengthen PHLs and developing public health lab networks at national and provincial level.

The PHLs shared their updates with specific focus on pathogen testing capacity, human resource, budget, lab information system, participation in external quality assessments (EQAs) schemes, challenges, opportunities and way forward.

All PHLs reported optimum technical capacity, resources, and equipment for molecular testing of viruses. Throughout the pandemic, these labs made significant contributions to COVID testing at the provincial level.

The most common issues and challenges highlighted by the public health labs were;

  1. Deficiency in budget allocated for human resources. 
  2. Limited budget provision for procurement of lab consumables and supplies.
  3. At provincial level, the process for approving budget for PHLs is hindered by bureaucratic challenges.

Following the initial session of presentations from PHLs, IHR-SP facilitated a brainstorming session to explore the possible areas and opportunities where NIH and IHR-SP can offer support to health departments and provincial public health reference labs. In line with the discussion and suggestions, IHR-SP extended its support to NIH and provinces to develop a national strategic plan and road map to strengthen provincial and regional public health reference laboratories, and public health laboratory networks at national and provincial level.

The CEO of NIH concluded with votes of thanks and appreciated the support of UKHSA's IHR-SP in its efforts to develop public health reference labs networks.

 

Sumera Abid/Asif Bettani/Syed Wasif Javed