The Third Meeting on Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) Laboratory Networks in the Western Pacific Region
5-9 September 2011 - Manila, Philippines
Background Information
The Third Meeting on Laboratory Networks (LabNet) for Polio and Measles/Rubella in the Western Pacific Region was organized in Manila, Philippines from 5 to 9 September 2011 to review the performance and identify challenges of polio and measles/rubella network laboratories in the Region. To enhance biosafety awareness among polio network laboratories and measles/rubella laboratories, a biosafety session was jointly held for one and a half days during the week. The meeting reviewed the performances of polio and measles/rubella laboratory networks to identify challenges of network laboratories and ways to further strengthen the quality of the performances and also to monitor the implementation of recommendations from the Second Laboratory Network Meeting held in February 2010. Approximately 75 participants from network laboratories, advisers and WHO staff actively discussed important issues during the meeting. Participants included 55 representatives from 16 countries (12 polio laboratories and 18 measles/rubella network laboratories), two WHO Laboratory Coordinators from Headquarters, three advisers from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), two observers from Taipei and selected WHO country EPI or laboratory focal points. The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss the recent imported wild polio cases in China and to further reduce the timeliness of laboratory testing among network laboratories including subnational laboratories in China.
Objectives
- To review the performance and the implementation status of new requirements of the polio network laboratories, identify challenges and define and develop plans for the expanding roles of the polio network laboratories to maintain polio-free status in the Region
- To review the progress and identify challenges of measles/rubella laboratories and develop plans to further strengthen the performance of network laboratories including molecular surveillance; and
- To raise awareness regarding biosafety and security issues and establish or strengthen biosafety programmes among VPD network laboratories by conducting training for trainers, disseminating training modules and planning the roll-out of the biosafety training programmes