A credible and accessible laboratory service is a cornerstone of any country's capacity to investigate public health events. Credit: WHO/K. KelleherPublic health laboratories are responsible for providing timely and reliable results primarily for the purpose of disease control and prevention. They perform core public health and environmental activities including public health reference tests, disease prevention, control, and surveillance, population-based interventions, and communication with healthcare providers on appropriate patient care, and emergency response efforts.

Well-functioning and sustainable laboratory services are essential for strong health systems and crucial for improving public health. The public health laboratories unit of the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean technically assists countries in the Region in implementing the WHO’s frameworks, tools and expertise to inform and support health authorities in strengthening their laboratory capacity, quality, safety and security. This is done through the development of national policies and strategies, coupled with sustainable training programmes, in line with WHOs’ global vision on laboratory quality.

Blood safety, laboratory and imaging