Led by the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene, this year’s event took the theme “the place of Medical Biology in patient care”, part of the initiatives aiming to strengthen capacity for the diagnosis, follow-up and surveillance of diseases in Guinea.

The Mérieux Foundation was asked to supply its expertise by the National Laboratories Directorate (NLD), which requested the support of the RESAOLAB project for the organization of this second National Medical Biology Day (NMBD). The RESAOLAB project is one of the technical and financial partners of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene for the implementation of its national medical biology policy.

The RESAOLAB project was the central theme for the presentation of the results of the External Quality Assessment (EQA) in biochemistry and hematology, alongside the national list of essential medical examinations in Guinea. There was a particular focus on LabBook, the laboratory data management software developed by the Mérieux Foundation for countries with limited resources.

The theme for the day was divided into four main areas:

• The place of medical biology in Guinea’s health system
• The role of medical biology in public health
• Monitoring antimicrobial resistance in laboratories
• The supply chain for the laboratory system

Other topics for discussion included a presentation of the ISO15189-2022 standard for medical biology laboratories, the management of supplies of in vitro diagnostic medical devices (IVDMD) and the maintenance of equipment in hospitals.

Medical biology is an essential component of patient care and benefits from supervision at national level defined by the decree of January 26, 2022, which determines the responsibilities of the Ministry of Health and Public Hygiene. This decree appoints the National Laboratories Directorate to develop and implement government policy in the field of Medical Biology and ensure its follow-up.

About RESAOLAB

A system of medical biology laboratories providing high-quality services is an essential requirement for improving population health. The West African Network of Biomedical Analysis Laboratories (RESAOLAB) is the first regional program in West Africa to provide a response to this public health concern. Designed with West African healthcare stakeholders, it takes into consideration all the factors affecting the laboratories’ governance and performance. Its objective is to improve the quality of medical biology services in these West African countries, by reinforcing their laboratory systems with a multifaceted regional approach.

Since its launch in 2009, RESAOLAB has enabled the deployment of major programs for ongoing training activities, the construction and provision of equipment for training and quality assurance laboratories and the introduction of epidemiological surveillance systems.

The network has been heavily involved in dealing with the Covid-19 crisis from 2020 onwards. Thanks to an additional grant awarded by the AFD (the French Development Agency), RESAOLAB has made it possible to develop response strategies for laboratories, by drawing on its expertise to support national efforts.