Established in 2009, the African Field Epidemiology Network - Lab (AFENET Lab) aims to deliver the most recent updates and laboratory information and news/events occurring in the public health laboratory networks. Its diverse offerings include a quarterly newsletter; online resources; networking tools; and training events.

The AFENET - Lab seeks to link laboratorians at various levels with one another so as to engage and share with researchers, public health experts and all laboratory stakeholders in information, technical support, training and other capacity building programmes in order to promote public health networking and cross border collaborations between sub national, national, regional and international public health laboratories.

What is AFENET-L?
AFENET-L is a network of public health laboratories in Africa that are committed to providing quality and reliable diagnosis of public health infections.

Our Vision
To provide leadership in public health laboratory services to aid communicable diseases control and to inform public health policy.

Mission
Our mission is to support public health laboratories in Africa provide quality and reliable diagnosis of public health infections through sharing of knowledge and expertise, sustaining quality laboratory management, and advocacy for laboratory leadership in order to enhance the capacity for the laboratory based detection and surveillance of infections.

Our capacity
AFENET-L, as a network, is rich in laboratory expertise from a number of national reference laboratories in Africa; experienced laboratory-field epidemiologists from renowned Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Programmes (FELTPs); collaborations with regional and international laboratories and other research institutions.

Problems AFENET-L is addressing

• Lack of quality laboratory practice and reliability of laboratory results
• Lack of expertise and timely response of laboratories to public health emergences
• Poor communication and sharing of information and expertise among laboratories in Africa, especially at district level
• Lack of systematic analysis and utilization of laboratory data

Our Strategies
The strategies AFENET-L will use include:

• Maintaining collaborations with other stakeholders in strengthening public health laboratory networks
• Supporting training of public health laboratories in quality assurance and laboratory management
• Providing a portal for information sharing through the newsletters and website, especially to the district level
• Enhancing easy access to laboratory expertise available in the network
• Building a culture of laboratory data analysis, utilization and sharing

What difference is AFENET-L trying to make?

• Improve quality in the public health laboratories in Africa
• Improve timely and adequate laboratory response to public health emergences
• Improve utilization of laboratory data, information sharing and best practice

AFENET - Lab is an initiative of AFENET