About Us

APHL’s Global Health Program assists resource-limited countries in building national laboratory networks, implementing training programs, planning and managing renovation projects, implementing laboratory management information systems, procuring equipment and supplies, and providing US-based advanced training for senior laboratory professionals.

The Program has significant experience with developing national strategic plans for public health laboratories, developing laboratory quality assurance programs, and implementing quality testing programs such as Drug Susceptibility Testing for tuberculosis and CD4 lymphocyte testing.

Current US Government and foundation funding for APHL’s Global Health Program activities is approximately $10 million.  The Program has 10 full-time scientific and program management staff in the APHL headquarters office in Silver Spring, MD.  Over 700 APHL members, experienced public health laboratory professionals, are available to work with the Program in project countries and to provide training opportunities in US laboratories.

APHL works globally to provide:

• On-site training programs, equipment procurement, information systems implementation, laboratory design
• Technical assistance for strategic planning, program development of laboratory quality assurance systems
• Twinning partnerships with US and project laboratories, US based training programs, university affiliated programs
• Laboratory leadership and management programs for senior and supervisory professionals
And works in 13 countries in Africa (U.S. President’s Emergency Program for AIDS Relief), in South America, in the Caribbean and in Asia

APHL is a partner in the World Health Organization’s “Laboratory Twinning Initiative,” a program that matches laboratories in developing countries with “expert” institutions to improve quality laboratory practice and international infectious disease surveillance and response.

Three laboratory twinning projects are in place, matching APHL member laboratories with national laboratories in developing countries, and projects are in the planning stage for Mexico and Paraguay:

• California State Public Health Laboratory with the Ethiopia Health and Nutrition Research Institute- 
• Michigan State Laboratory and the Los Angeles County Laboratory with the National Institute of Health Immunology Laboratory in Mozambique-
• Utah State Laboratory with the National Laboratory of Barbados
Building Sustainable Laboratory Capacity and Improving Testing Quality

APHL works with national health programs to strengthen laboratory planning, management and practice to increase access to diagnostic testing. APHL partners with US Government agencies and the World Health Organization to provide laboratory expertise, technical assistance and training to improve capacity and quality in public health laboratory systems to support national health objectives and reduce the burden of illness.