The Practical manual on TB laboratory strengthening was released today to support implementation of World Health Organization (WHO) recommended TB diagnostics through quality assured TB laboratory services and networks. The document is an update of the GLI Practical Guide to TB Laboratory Strengthening issued in 2017 and is now aligned with the latest WHO recommendations on new tools to diagnose tuberculosis and detect drug resistance.
The updated manual provides an overview of the WHO recommendations and model algorithms as well as addressing key technical areas covering the TB laboratory network, quality management systems, sample collection and transport, biosafety, and operational management of a laboratory.
The update was developed by the Stop TB Partnership's Global Laboratory Initiative working group, with its secretariat at the World Health Organization (WHO) Global TB Programme and is available through the respective websites.
