A WHO webinar “Tuberculosis (TB) and drug-resistant TB laboratory diagnostic services during the COVID-19 pandemic: Updates on latest WHO global guidelines and from the WHO European region” was held on October 7-8, 2021 online. The webinar was organized by the WHO European Office, the WHO Office in Russia, and the WHO Collaborating Center in Novosibirsk.
The webinar was attended by directors of some TB institutes from Russia, national reference laboratories from Europe, Russia, countries of the former USSR, representatives of the Russian Ministry of Health.
The head of the Laboratory of Molecular Epidemiology and Evolutionary Genetics, Dr Igor Mokrousov took part in the Round table discussion on the potential role of sequencing for resistant TB detection in the WHO European Region. WHO updates in the field of TB diagnostics were discussed, including new guidelines for the detection of resistant tuberculosis, implementation of next generation sequencing in countries with high incidence rates, the activities of anti-tuberculosis laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic.
References
WHO Office for Europe: https://www.euro.who.int/en/about-us
European Laboratory Initiative on Tuberculosis, HIV and Viral Hepatitis: https://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/communicable-diseases/tuberculosis/news/news/2020/01/european-laboratory-initiative-on-tb,-hiv-and-viral-hepatitis-sets-priorities-for-integrated-testing-and-diagnosis-in-20202021
