As part of the WHO’s laboratory pillar’s COVID-19 response, the WHO Public Health Laboratory Strengthening Unit at HQ, AFRO and EMRO launched a knowledge sharing platform for COVID-19 testing laboratories and laboratory stakeholders in June 2020. This platform, now expanded to all WHO regions and funded by the European Commission’s CBRN Centres of Excellence Initiative, was developed after identifying the need to intensify networking and training amidst limited capacity for in-country and in-person events and workshops. This WHO platform contributes to the ACT-Accelerator Diagnostics pillar activities by enabling country preparedness.
The platform offers a virtual platform for dynamic and real time information sharing on laboratory testing good practices, national laboratory networks, latest WHO guidance and to provide a forum for technical assistance and training. To date, 19 webinars have been conducted with COVID-19 disease progression, molecular or antigenic testing and biosafety being amongst the most attended sessions with 400 to 500 participants on average. In its first year, this knowledge sharing platform has seen engagement from more than 180 countries and territories (with the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh and Ghana having the most participants) and 1700 workplaces including governments, academia, not-for-profit and industry.
The roll-out of SARS-CoV-2 antigen rapid diagnostic tests (Ag-RDTs) was a particularly interesting opportunity for countries to share experiences in several webinars. In Papua New Guinea, Ag-RDTs had been used to support slow PCR turn-around times; the country learned that a clear testing strategy, supported by adequate training, was essential for efficient roll-out. A speaker from Nigeria shared major implementation challenges and solutions, including combatting misinformation. In recent sessions on setting up a sequencing facility, a facility manager from Australia shared practical tips including how to think about contamination issues, personnel behaviour, and equipment maintenance. A Kenyan doctor detailed experience on setting up a national sequencing network for SARS-CoV-2 utilising different equipment and the value of already having sufficient human resources. On sequencing strategies, speakers from Brazil and the United Arab Emirates shared experience detailing which samples to sequence to identify variants and sharing lessons learnt while implementing high levels of sequencing such as the need for a rapid turn around time to inform public health measures.
Development of the platform moving forward:
- Continue to address critical surveillance areas to support SARS-CoV-2 testing, variants monitoring and COVID-19 surveillance.
- Leverage knowledge sharing platform to address other health emergencies and cross-cutting laboratory competencies.