PAHO/WHO Collaborating Centre Spotlight Series
Reference Number: USA-187*
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for Clinical Laboratory Standards and Accreditation
Institution: Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute
Reference Number: MEX-34
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC on Laboratory Quality Management
Institution: Dirección de Servicios y Apoyo Técnico DSAT, Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos (InDRE), Secretaria de Salud
Reference Number: USA-358
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for Meningitis
Institution: Division of Bacterial Diseases, Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Reference Number: MEX-31
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC on Laboratory Biosafety
Institution: Departamento de Control de Muestras y Servicios, Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos (InDRE), Secretaria de Salud
Reference Number: CAN-92
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for Biosafety and Biosecurity
Institution: Centre for Biosecurity, Health Security Infrastructure Branch, Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
Reference Number: USA-448
Official Title: PAHO/WHO CC for Biosafety and Biosecurity
Institution: Office of the Associate Director for Laboratory Science, Center for Global Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Category 5 (SP 14-19)
Outcome 24 (SP 20-25)
Dr. Jean-Marc Gabastou, Advisor, Public Health Laboratory and Networking, is the PAHO staff member who acts as the Region’s focal point and also has a supporting role to the WHO focal point to coordinate the collaboration between the institution and the Organization.
The main activities of these Centres include: (1) assisting with implementing quality standards and Standard Operating Procedures to increase the quality of clinical, public and medical laboratories; (2) certifying and accrediting lab quality management systems for biosecurity and biosafety; (3) developing standards, flow charts, algorithms and training for the strengthening of integrated surveillance for meningitis and meningococcal disease; and (4) developing new technologies for rapid diagnosis and characterization of circulating strains to develop new vaccines.
The Centre at the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute assists with implementing quality standards, certification and accreditation processes to increase the quality of clinical, public and medical laboratories to ensure accurate data for decision making.
Dr. Gabastou believes “It is important to have the Centre’s expertise as they developed standards, procedures and materials that can be shared across the Region and can later implement quality procedures that is crucial to standardizing the technologies and methodologies of data.”
The Centre at the Departamento de Control de Muestras y Servicios, InDRE, participated in a meeting, attended by the global advisor of biosecurity and Collaborating Centres focused on biosafety (CDC and PHAC). This meeting aimed to explore synergies between the three Centres in the Region and to optimize activities. The Centre also held a 3-day biosafety training at the national and sub-regional/regional level.
The Centre at the Dirección de Servicios y Apoyo Técnico DSAT, InDRE focuses on quality management systems and leads a lab network across 32 Mexican states and Mexico City including accepting and developing standards for implementation at the state level.
Both Centres at the CDC and PHAC have been involved in a meeting with the Centre at the Departamento de Control de Muestras y Servicios, InDRE and with the global advisor on biosecurity. The three Centres will develop a new regional workshop for biosafety associated with the containment of pathogen and elimination of strain polio and assist with developing an emergency contingency plan.
The Centre at the Division of Bacterial Diseases, CDC, developed standards and training of information collection for meningitis. The Centre works closely with the immunization program at PAHO to develop new technologies for rapid diagnosis and characterizing of the disease to develop new vaccines.
Webnotes such as these serve to inform how Collaborating Centres are contributing to the Organization’s priorities and mandates.
*CC expired.