Jane Ruth Aceng, the Minister of Health, has underscored the crucial need to elevate laboratory services to the departmental level, positioning them as fundamental areas of concern for governments.
Aceng emphasizes that when laboratory services operate at the department level, the designated head can make policy decisions and allocate a budget, thus ensuring smooth operation of any country’s health sector.
“Without elevated laboratory services, the health sector cannot fulfill its duties accurately, as the foundation for correct information lies there. Elevating them ensures the country’s health sector moves in the right direction,” she explained.
These remarks were made on the third day of the ongoing African Society for Laboratory Medicine conference (ASLM) 2023 in South Africa.
In the presence of laboratory directors from across Africa, Aceng, along with Dr. Holenn Serge Emmanuel, the Deputy Health Minister of DRC, ASLM, and Africa Center for Disease Control, signed a crucial call to empower laboratory directors in governing medical laboratory services.
In this call to action, they recognized the critical role laboratory and diagnostic services play in delivering high-quality clinical care, epidemic preparedness, and early detection and response to emerging outbreaks. However, they expressed concern about limited resources available to laboratory directorates to support their services.
They appealed to national governments, donors, partners, and implementers to ensure adequate resourcing, visibility, and the inclusion of laboratory directorates in decision-making processes.
They also urged the establishment of mechanisms to streamline approvals and timely release of funds for critical activities.
Under the theme “Shaping Laboratory Systems and Diagnostic Services for the 21st Century,” the ASLM conference 2023 serves as a platform for professionals and experts in laboratory medicine and diagnostics from Africa and around the world to collaborate, share cutting-edge research, and showcase the latest advancements in the field.