Abstract The revised International Health Regulations [IHR(2005)], which requires the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop core capacities to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health threats, is bringing new challenges for national and international surveillance systems. As more countries move toward implementation and/or strengthening of their infectious disease surveillance programs, the strengthening of clinical microbiology laboratories becomes increasingly important because they serve as the first line responders to detect new and emerging microbial threats, re-emerging infectious diseases, the spread of antibiotic resistance, and the possibility of bioterrorism. In fact, IHR(2005) Core Capacity #8, “Laboratory”, requires that laboratory services be a part of every phase of alert and response. Public health laboratories in many resource-constrained countries require financial and technical assistance to build their capacity. In recognition of this, in 2006, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) established an International Laboratory Capacity Building Program, LabCap, housed under the ASM International Board. ASM LabCap utilizes ASM’s vast resources and its membership’s expertise—40,000 microbiologists worldwide—to strengthen clinical and public health laboratory systems in low and low-middle income countries. ASM LabCap’s program activities align with HR(2005) by building the capability of resource-constrained countries to develop quality-assured, laboratory-based information which is critical to disease surveillance and the rapid detection of disease outbreaks, whether they stem from natural, deliberate or accidental causes. ASM LabCap helps build laboratory capacity under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and under a sub-contract with the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Successful activities of ASM LabCap have occurred throughout Africa, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. In addition, ASM LabCap coordinates efforts with international agencies such as the WHO in order to maximize resources and ensure a unified response, with the intended goal to help build integrated disease surveillance and response capabilities worldwide in compliance with HR(2005)’s requirements.
This article will provide a discussion of the innovative ways ASHA is collaborating with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to improve the delivery of high quality SLP/A services in three of the most impoverished countries in Latin America, Guyana, El Salvador, and Honduras. The ASHA Board of Directors (BOD) established a Strategic Pathway to Excellence with an objective to “Strengthen Strategic Relationships” by engaging with organizations to support ASHA's mission and expand influence worldwide (ASHA, 2012). One priority was to identify opportunities to collaborate with the World Health Organization (WHO). Therefore, BOD approved a joint collaboration project between ASHA and the PAHO, Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), known as the ASHA-PAHO/WHO project.
The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) is the oldest and largest single life science membership organization in the world. Membership has grown from 59 scientists in 1899 to nearly 42.000 members in 2002, including 13.000 international members [1]. These figures show that, in spite of being a United States-based society, 30% of ASM members are located outside that community. Eligibility to become a full member of the Society is open to any person who is interested in microbiology and holds at least a bachelor's degree or equivalent experience in microbiology or a related field. Many members hold advanced degrees, including a large number at the Masters, PhD, ScD, DrPH, and MD level. A regularly registered student of microbiology or a related field is eligible to become a student member. The ASM represents 25 disciplines of microbiological specialization, plus a division for microbiology educators. All major fields of microbiology are represented in the ASM, including infectious diseases, recombinant DNA technology, alternative methods of energy production and waste recycling, new sources of food, new drug development, environmental bioremediation, and industrial processes. These fields involve all forms of microbiological life, including bacteria, viruses, rickettsiae, mycoplasma, fungi, algae, and protozoa. The ASM headquarters are located in Washington D.C. (Fig. 1).
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