Oman’s CPHL designated as WHO collaborative centre for emerging infections

Muscat: The Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL) of the Ministry of Health has been designated as a Collaborating Centre for Emerging Infections by the World Health Organization (WHO), the first of its kind in the Eastern Mediterranean region.

The announcement, made on Wednesday at the Ministry of Health, was attended by Dr Ahmed bin Mohammed al Saeedi, Minister of Health and a number of officials from the ministry and representatives of the WHO.

Dr Amina bint Khalfan al Jardaniyah, Director, Central Public Health Laboratories (CPHL) at the Ministry of Health, said the selection of the CPHL in the Sultanate of Oman represents an important achievement for the Sultanate of Oman, affirming that the CPHL will serve the Eastern Mediterranean region and will play a global role among the internationally-accredited collaborating centres.

Al Jardaniyah noted that the CPHL will support the region and some countries of the world in combating emerging epidemics and will provide services in the training and capacity-building fields.

The designation of a collaborating centre for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases in the Sultanate of Oman provides an opportunity for exchanging experiences and enabling countries in the region and the world to benefit from the Sultanate of Oman’s experience in the field of public health laboratories such as the provision of technical consultations and the organization of training events.

The WHO collaborating centres aim to enhance countries’ readiness and response for timely detection and management of outbreaks and emerging pathogens to facilitate the transfer of safe and appropriate diagnostic techniques, practices and training to laboratories.

The Sultanate of Oman’s CPHL is the first entity in the region to be granted the status of a collaborating centre for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, which proves the leadership of the Sultanate of Oman in many sectors and fields and the extent of its advancement and success in public health programmes whether at the local, regional or international level. This includes curbing infectious diseases and combating the risk factors that cause them. The selection of the CPHL qualifies it as a model on the international level in the field of public health laboratories and in the areas of pandemic response and control.

The Ministry of Health is seeking to establish a modern, integrated building for the CPHL equipped with the latest technologies in the field of laboratory tests. The new building will contain a state-of-the-art laboratory for screening for tuberculosis and other highly contagious viral diseases in addition to an electron microscope department and other departments that will be developed such as the department of parasitology and mycology. — ONA