Public health Laboratory services

Strengthening public health laboratories to tackle emerging and re-emerging epidemic and pandemic prone diseases

National Public Health Laboratory
A medical lab technologist processing water samples to detect AMR-causing organisms at the National Public Health Laboratory, Bagmati Province, Nepal

Technical support and laboratory strengthening

Technical support and laboratory strengthening The Public Health Laboratory unit oversees the implementation of the South-East Asia Regional Roadmap for Diagnostic Preparedness, Integrated Laboratory Network and Genomic Surveillance (2023-2027). The unit provides strategic guidance to Member States to enhance diagnostic capabilities related to infectious diseases of epidemic and pandemic potential including antimicrobial resistance. The unit serves as a catalyst for implementing best practices, fostering high-level partnerships, and establishing laboratory networks to advance diagnostics towards collaborative disease surveillance and response capabilities.

South-East Asia Regional Roadmap for Diagnostic Preparedness, Integrated Laboratory Networking and Genomic Surveillance (2023–2027)

Access to diagnostics is the cornerstone for early warning, response and containment strategies and is essential for ensuring “health for all”. The COVID-19...

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News

17 April 2026

Departmental update

From sequencing to surveillance: WHO SEARO and CSIR-IGIB host regional workshop on dengue genomics

14 March 2025

Departmental update

Strengthening Mpox genomic surveillance: Regional training workshop concludes in Thailand

4 March 2025 | Highlights

2 August 2024

Departmental update

The Joint National and International Surveillance Review of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) and Severe Acute Respiratory Infection (SARI) Sentinel Surveillance in Indonesia

28 June 2024

Departmental update

Developing Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Surveillance Capacity in Bhutan: A Collaborative Initiative with WHO Support

23 October 2024 | Highlights

16 October 2024 | Departmental update

5 July 2024 | Departmental update

1 July 2024

Departmental update

International Workshop on Influenza Virus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Genome Sequencing, Pune, India

3-7 June 2024|National Institute of Virology|Pune, India

24 December 2023

News release

As COVID-19 cases rise, WHO asks countries to scale up surveillance and protective measures

The World Health Organization urges countries in South-East Asia Region to strengthen surveillance and for people to take protective measures in view of the increasing numbers of c ...

16 November 2022

Departmental update

SEARO conducts a webinar on diagnostic and clinical approach to Mpox (monkeypox)

The Health Emergency Programme of the WHO’s Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO) held a Mpox (monkeypox) clinical management webinar titled “Diagnostic and clinical approach ...

24 July 2022

News release

Enhance surveillance, public health measures for monkeypox: WHO

20 August 2019

Departmental update

Informal consultation for the development of a Regional Laboratory Network to augment national laboratory capacity for public health emergencies

Publications and reports

Annual South-East Asia regional meeting on Operational Planning for Implementation of the Global Influenza Strategy and preparedness for other respiratory viruses in 2025

The WHO Regional Offices for South-East Asia and the Western Pacific alternately host the annual bi-regional meeting of national influenza centres and...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Nepal Country Report, 2023

This assessment was undertaken as part of a broader WHO South-East (SE) Asia regional initiative to strengthen communicable disease surveillance and strategic...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Myanmar Country Report, 2024

This assessment was conducted as part of the WHO South-East (SE) Asia regional initiative to strengthen indicator-based communicable disease surveillance...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Timor-Leste Country Report, 2023

This assessment was undertaken as part of a broader WHO South-East (SE) Asia regional initiative to strengthen indicator-based communicable disease surveillance...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Maldives Country Report, 2023

This assessment was conducted as part of the WHO South-East (SE) Asia regional initiative to strengthen communicable disease surveillance and strategic...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Thailand Country Report, 2024

This assessment was conducted as part of a broader WHO South-East (SE) Asia regional initiative to strengthen indicator-based communicable disease surveillance...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Bangladesh Country report, 2023

This assessment was conducted as part of a regional WHO initiative to strengthen communicable disease surveillance and strategic information systems across...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Bhutan Country Report, 2023

This assessment was undertaken as part of a broader WHO South-East (SE) Asia regional initiative to strengthen communicable disease surveillance and trategic...

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Overview and Assessment of Communicable Disease Surveillance Systems and Strategic Information Sources in the South-East Asia Region: Sri Lanka Country Report, 2023

This assessment was undertaken as part of a broader WHO South-East (SE) Asia regional initiative to strengthen communicable disease surveillance and strategic...

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Regional Consultation on advancing communicable disease surveillance and health information systems for multi-disease elimination in the South-East Asia Region

The Regional Consultation on Advancing Communicable Disease Surveillance and Health Information Systems for Multidisease Elimination in the WHO South-East...

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publication banner for Emerging from the Unknowing: WHO India’s strategic response to the pandemic report

Emerging from the Unknowing chronicles WHO India's vital technical and field support to the Government of India during the COVID-19 response—an extraordinary...

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Calibrating public health and social measures in the context of COVID-19: towards sustainable application

This document proposes an interim framework for adjusting PHSMs in the South-East Asia Region, focusing on sustainable application at the subnational...

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Establishment of public health laboratories in South-East Asia

Public health laboratory services are an essential part of any strong and effective health system, contributing significantly to the prevention and control...

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Establishment of national laboratory based surveillance of antibiotic resistance

Laboratory-based antimicrobial resistance (‎AMR)‎ surveillance data helps to monitor susceptibility patterns of microorganisms to antimicrobial...

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Development of national health laboratory policy and plan

This document provides technical support to Member States in the South-East Asia and Western Pacific Regions on the steps required to develop and effectively...

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The Asia Pacific Strategy for Strengthening Health Laboratory Services (‎2010-2015)‎ presents a brief overview of the major challenges in assuring...

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Dengue Fever: Its Laboratory Diagnosis, with Special Emphasis on IgM Detection

Rapid diagnosis of dengue is crucial for proper patient care. As IgM antibody appears early during the disease course, its detection is a valuable tool...

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Health laboratory services in support of primary health care in South-East Asia. Second edition

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Webinar 1 highlights (25th October 2023 - W1/3)

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