Lab Matters Winter 2024 | Page 17

FEATURE

Mangal said . “ Funding the workforce is a challenge we face .”

A focus also needs to be placed on workforce development — and not just technical training on new instruments and techniques , which is undoubtably important , but also on essential skills like communication , leadership , emergency response and advocacy .

“ We ’ ve moved beyond just training in a method or platform ,” Mangal noted . “ We ’ re also looking at micro credentialling and how to partner with academic institutions to strengthen laboratorians skillsets and knowledge base .”

“ More opportunities for laboratory scientists to pursue professional development , leadership growth and placement among cross-disciplinary leadership positions will strengthen the entire system ,” added Laserson , who noted the need for laboratory scientists to be proficient in a plethora of skills , from biosecurity to quality management to laboratory governance . “ Adequate support staff for ancillary laboratory management and operations are also needed to allow laboratory scientists to participate in a global community of knowledge to build skills for professional development and outreach .”

Maryogo-Robinson echoes those thoughts while also pointing out the need for adequate funding in infrastructure development .

“ If we ’ re rolling out Ebola testing , for example , here within the US , there ’ s training that would happen across the country ,” she pointed out . “ There are

It takes a concerted effort and a culture of integration to ensure that problems are addressed with all perspectives accounted for ... Every opportunity to see your work from a different perspective benefits the entire health system .”

standard operating procedures that are pulled together . There is a mechanism for communication and reporting . Operating a laboratory response network efficiently takes time , money and resources , which may be difficult to access in some countries .”

Bringing together bands of highly trained scientists from multiple disciplines can be challenging , acknowledged Laserson , but necessary for the exchange of ideas and insights that naturally strengthen public health endeavors .

“ It takes a concerted effort and a culture of integration to ensure that problems are addressed with all perspectives accounted for — laboratory , epidemiology , clinical , veterinary / animal health , data science , response , etc .,” she said . “ Every opportunity to see your work from a different perspective benefits the entire health system .”

Another key to global laboratory coordination is policy — how , when and where countries need to sound an alarm on public threats . And thankfully , that policy is becoming clearer .

“ The steps it takes to officially declare an outbreak of concern are better understood now ,” Maryogo-Robinson said . “ Countries are much more aware of

— Lucy Maryogo-Robinson , MPH

how to go about doing it — there ’ s more clarity . There ’ s been a lot more education about what constitutes a public health emergency .”

She used mpox as an example . Not too long ago , one African country declared an outbreak . Shortly thereafter , Africa CDC declared it a public health emergency of continental security , and soon after that , the World Health Organization ( WHO ) declared it a public health emergency of international concern .

Yet even when laboratories have people and policy , they don ’ t always have products — another roadblock to global laboratory coordination . Supply chain disruptions can make it difficult for laboratories everywhere to acquire assays , sequencers , reagents and other necessary components of laboratory work . And without supplies , surveillance stands still .

“ It can be very difficult for global laboratories to get all the supplies they need at any given time ,” said Sara Vetter , PhD , D ( ABMM ), laboratory director at the Minnesota Department of Health . “ Sometimes things get stuck through customs , and that ’ s a really hard issue to work through . Sometimes it ’ s just that a product isn ’ t available .”