Boosting the Diagnostic Capacities in Guinea

To continue our capacity building program in Guinea, refresher trainings were organized in the three laboratories for viral hemorrhagic fevers (VHFs) in Conakry (CRV-LFHVG*), Gueckédou (LFHV-GKD*) and N’Zérékoré (LFHV-HRNZE*) to reinforce the laboratory preparedness and to contribute actively to the surveillance system of the country. Enhancement of reliable diagnostics in endemic region, such as in Forest Guinea, plays a crucial role in the response to public health emergencies as proved during the recent Ebola virus disease re-emergence in Guinea and the emergence of Marburg virus disease in West-Africa.

A team from BNITM traveled to Conakry and Forest Guinea in October 2022 to support Guinean partner laboratories. Theoretical and hands-on trainings in the three laboratories covered PCR-based laboratory diagnostic methods for the detection of several pathogens such as Lassa, Ebola, Marburg, and Mpox viruses among others. Implementation of relevant documentation and standard operating procedures was also pursued in order to harmonize the quality assurance system in the three GHPP-supported laboratories.
The expansion of the testing panels in the diagnostic services in the past months in the three laboratories has been beneficial for the public health surveillance system, as it has also contributed to the multiple detection of several Lassa fever acute cases.

BNITM continues to support Guinea and its partner laboratories remotely with technical and theoretical guidance as needed.

Note that this activity was performed with the support of GHPP in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Outbreak Alert Response Network (GOARN) in the context of the European Mobile Laboratory deployments (EMLab) of experts in response to Ebola, SARS-CoV-2 and Marburg response.

Date: December 2022