APHL and GWU Host Public Health Laboratory Leadership Seminar in Tanzania

SILVER SPRING, MD--(Marketwire - Oct 19, 2012) - The Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and The George Washington University (GWU) School of Public Health and Health Services will hold their sixth International Institute for Public Health Laboratory Management, October 22 - November 2, in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. The Institute is designed to strengthen the skills of current and future senior laboratory professionals who can lead the development of public health laboratory systems in resource-constrained settings. The program offers training, networking and professional development opportunities, and fosters regional and global collaborations between expert institutions and national laboratories in developing countries.

Since its inception in 2007, over 130 students from 21 countries have completed the two-week course. Facilitated by exceptional faculty, the curriculum follows international health priorities, including surveillance and detection of disease outbreaks; HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis initiatives such as the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR); and public health prevention programs. The laboratory's function in controlling infectious diseases is also considered as part of a national health plan.

"A strong public health laboratory system is critical to addressing international health challenges; however, efforts to build strong systems have been historically underfunded," said Ralph Timperi, APHL's senior advisor of laboratory practice and management and the Institute's co-director. "Our goal is to help participants effectively apply the information learned when they return to their home countries."

The GWU-APHL International Institute for Public Health Laboratory Management will partner with The University of Dar Es Salaam, the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the Muhimbili University Health and Allied Sciences, the CDC- Tanzania Global AIDS program and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine to present this year's seminar.

The Association of Public Health Laboratories is a national nonprofit located in Silver Spring, MD, that is dedicated to working with members to strengthen governmental laboratories with a public health mandate. By promoting effective programs and public policy, APHL strives to provide public health laboratories with the resources and infrastructure needed to protect the health of US residents and to prevent and control disease globally.

This release was 80% funded with funds from Cooperative Agreement # U2GPS001799 from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. APHL used $250,000 from the CDC to convene the International Institute for Public Health Laboratory Management.