Conference Abstract | Volume 8, Abstract ELIC2025466 (Poster 081) | Published: 04 Aug 2025
Chinelo Ebruke1,2,&, Issiaka Sombie1, Abdourahmane Sow3, Olivier Manigart1,2
1West African Health Organisation, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso, 2GFA Consulting Group, PROALAB, Hamburg, Germany 3Institut Pasteur, Dakar, Senegal
&Corresponding author: Chinelo Ebruke, West African Health Organisation, Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso and GFA Consulting Group – PROALAB, Hamburg. Email: Chinelo.Ebruke@gfa-group.de
Received: 8 May 2025, Accepted: 09 Jul 2025, Published: 04 Aug 2025
Domain: Infectious Disease Epidemiology
This is part of the Proceedings of the ECOWAS 2nd Lassa fever International Conference in Abidjan, September 8 – 11, 2025
Keywords: Laboratory systems, Equipment maintenance, Metrology, West Africa, Biosafety cabinet certification, Regional capacity building
©Chinelo Ebruke et al., Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health (ISSN: 2664-2824). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution International 4.0 License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Cite this article: Chinelo Ebruke et al., Strengthening laboratory resilience through regional equipment maintenance and metrology systems: Lessons from West Africa. Journal of Interventional Epidemiology and Public Health. 2025;8(ConfProc5):00225. https://doi.org/10.37432/jieph-confpro5-00225
Reliable laboratory equipment and effective metrology systems are essential for accurate diagnostics and epidemic response, particularly for diseases like Lassa fever. Across West Africa, gaps in equipment maintenance, calibration, and technical capacity have undermined diagnostic sustainability. In response, West African Health Organization (WAHO), with partners, initiated a regional strategy to address these deficiencies through stakeholder engagement, needs assessment, training, and policy development.
From 2022 to 2024, regional meetings and expert consultations brought together over 75 participants from all 15 ECOWAS countries and partners. A baseline survey involving 27 institutions across 13 countries assessed practices, challenges, and opportunities in equipment maintenance and metrology. Follow-up meetings included group work, plenary discussions, and prioritization exercises. Equipment procurement under WAHO-supported projects also incorporated expert consultation to ensure standardization, availability of spare parts, and local maintenance capacity.
Key findings included widespread lack of national policies on equipment maintenance, shortage of trained biomedical engineers, and limited access to spare parts. In response, A Regional Technical Working Group (TWG) was established to provide ongoing technical guidance. Regional Centres of Excellence were identified to serve as hubs for technical support, training, and calibration services. An End-User Training Workshop on biosafety cabinet (BSC) maintenance was conducted in March 2024 with 14 ECOWAS countries. A Regional Certification Program for BSC certifiers is in development, aiming to reduce reliance on international providers and promote cost-effective, timely certification. PROALAB-procured equipment now includes maintenance contracts and end-user training.
The coordinated regional approach has laid the foundation for sustainable improvement in laboratory equipment maintenance and metrology across ECOWAS. By leveraging regional expertise, fostering standardization, and building in-country capacity, WAHO and partners are reducing fragmentation and dependency. Continued investment is essential to consolidate these gains and ensure resilient laboratory systems for future public health emergencies.
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