At the regional level, establishing an inter-country network allows laboratory directorates to share knowledge and experience to work towards harmonized national clinical biology policies. It promotes exchanges and provides member countries with greater leverage to advocate on behalf of laboratories.

A steadily growing network

When RESAOLAB was created in 2009, taking a regional approach to improving the management of clinical biology laboratories was a novel idea that we rolled out in 3 countries: Burkina Faso, Mali and Senegal, with the support of Agence Française de Développement.

In 2013, the network was expanded to include 4 more countries: Benin, Guinea, Niger and Togo. Since 2015, the network has invited representatives of the 15 ECOWAS countries (Economic Community of West African States) to attend workshops and annual meetings to develop shared strategies and address key challenges: training personnel, transporting samples, combatting antimicrobial resistance, etc.

Benefits for laboratories

For laboratory directorates, being part of a multi-country network simplifies the application of international, regional and national health recommendations within their national networks, including those from the WHO (i.e., the International Health Regulations) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (i.e., the Global Health Security Agenda).

It also makes it easier for labs to follow WAHO recommendations and guidance from the health ministers of the network’s 15 countries.