Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP)

Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP)

CDC/Awadh Mohammed Ba Saleh - Yemen, WHO/P. Phutpheng, CDC/San Gabriel Valley Mosquito & Vector Control District (SGVMVCD) - Pablo Cabrera
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Our goal:

Foster and mentor current and emerging laboratory leaders to build, strengthen and sustain national laboratory systems

 

 

Updated: 15 May 2023

 

To help ensure that laboratories can effectively play a critical role in the prevention, detection, and control of diseases, current and emerging laboratory leaders worldwide need specialized training in leadership and management.

Leading organizations partnered to develop the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) targeting human and animal health laboratories, as well as laboratories with public health impact (environmental, agricultural, food, or chemical laboratories). The partners are: 

The six partners enlisted the expertise of over 140 global experts in human and animal health and laboratory science for the development of the GLLP. The partners are committed to the programme’s vision of laboratory leaders empowering national laboratory systems across the globe using a One Health approach to strengthen health security. 

 

 

OneHealthGraphic
group of people working for Global laboratory Leadership programme
©WHO
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From 8th to 10th November 2022, the GLLP Partners met at the WHO Lyon office, France. The Partners discussed how to assure the integrity and quality of GLLP implementation through the GLLP Learning Package, communities of practice, and solid monitoring and evaluation.

Laboratory Leadership Competency Framework

International experts agree that laboratory leaders need certain core competencies to meet national, regional, and global disease prevention and control objectives. The GLLP encapsulates the following nine core competencies outlined in the Laboratory Leadership Competency Framework: 

  • Laboratory System
  • Disease Surveillance and Outbreak Investigation
  • Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
  • Biosafety and Biosecurity
  • Leadership
  • Management
  • Communication
  • Quality Management System
  • Research

 

GLLP Learning Package

The programme, available for virtual or in-person implementation, is flexible in length, format, and content and may be adapted to meet country-specific workforce needs. The GLLP Learning Package provides the materials necessary to implement programmes in any country or educational institution in the world and includes:  

  • GLLP Planning and Implementation Guide 
  • GLLP Mentorship Guide 
  • Virtual and in-person course materials including PowerPoint presentations and instructor and participant guides
  • GLLP Implementation Toolbox

The GLLP course materials include four sections (Introduction, Laboratory Management, Laboratory Leadership, and Laboratory Systems) comprising 13 units and 43 modules, with over 200 contact hours' worth of materials, all with a strong One Health focus. 

The GLLP Learning Package is hosted on the WHO Health Security Learning Platform (HSLP). Access to the full set of course materials will initially be restricted, as the GLLP partners continue to refine the Learning Package based on feedback, before releasing for public use. Upon motivated request, access to the modules can be granted to organizations planning to use the GLLP materials for a training/learning activity. For more information, click on the button below.


 

”GLLP provided me with the opportunity to work in a real One Health scenario, interacting with other sector persons as well as the course mentor. It also gave me a vision of leadership and how to use communication skills as a way forward in our endeavors. With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, there came many challenges related to management and communication, but our learning during the course helped us to counter these issues.” 

-- Dr Muhammad Abubakar, Senior Scientific Officer, National Veterinary Laboratory, Pakistan

 

Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Laboratories, and their capacity to rapidly test and diagnose illness, are essential. Specialized training for laboratory leaders, such as the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme, support a country’s ability to respond to future outbreaks and health emergencies.   

The COVID-19 pandemic has put unprecedented pressure on health services worldwide, demonstrating how a lack of robust laboratory systems can drastically impede the detection, diagnosis, and control of diseases. COVID-19 has highlighted the importance of building sustainable national laboratory systems, run by leaders capable of understanding all system components and working collaboratively across sectors. 

 

Strong leaders support strong laboratory systems and contribute to health security. 

 

GLLP implementation

GLLP implementation status map
WHO
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