Dr. Susan Nabadda named interim Chair of Africa Laboratory Director’s Forum.

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Summary:

• Dr. Susan Nabadda, Commissioner of Laboratory Services, has been appointed interim chair of the Laboratory Directors of Africa Forum, a platform endorsed by African Union Member States to shape the laboratory agenda and enhance capacity across the continent.

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Dr. Susan Nabadda, currently serving as the Commissioner of Laboratory Services in the Ministry of Health, has assumed the role of interim chair for the Laboratory Directors of Africa Forum.

During her address at the official opening of the biennial ASLM conference 2023 in Cape Town, Dr. Nabadda emphasized the significance of the Laboratory Directors Forum as a platform officially recognized and endorsed by African Union Member States. The forum aims to bring together leaders in laboratory services from all 55 member states to shape the laboratory agenda, establish priorities, and leverage the strengths and capabilities of individual countries. The overarching goal is to enhance laboratory capacity across Africa.

The Laboratory Directors’ Forum (LabDF) was launched by the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) in collaboration with the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in Addis Ababa in 2022.

Dr. Nabadda underscored the importance of African-led solutions, stating, “As Africans, we believe in African solutions created by Africa.” She highlighted the transformative role of the Laboratory Directors Forum in shaping best practices in African laboratories. The forum’s core objective is to bring together leaders in laboratory services to set a high-level agenda for the continent, define priorities, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and information among senior leaders.

In her address, Dr. Nabadda also urged National Governments, donors, and partners to transcend silos and take the lead in diagnostic integration. She emphasized the need to shift from funding and supporting vertical disease programs to embracing more integrated diagnostic systems actively.