ASLM2012 Conference: Call for Abstracts!
The ASLM2012 Scientific Program Committee invites abstract submissions for ASLM2012, the African Society for Laboratory Medicine's first international conference.
ASLM2012 will convene an expected 1,500 participants in Cape Town, South Africa,
from 1-7 December 2012. The conference will be based around the theme,
"Accurate Laboratory Diagnostics - A Pillar of Quality Healthcare."
For more information on
abstract submissions, please visit the
Call for Abstracts links below.
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For the English version of the Call for Abstracts, please click here. |
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Pour la version française de l'Appel aux Soumissions pour les Résumés, veuillez cliquer ici. |
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ASLM Releases
Lab Culture Newsletter Issue #3
ASLM invites you to read the recently released 3rd issue of Lab Culture!
Lab Culture serves to share knowledge, experience and ideas among laboratory professionals. Readership continues to grow, and the Lab Culture newsletter provides ASLM with the opportunity to reflect the true culture of African laboratory medicine.
To submit articles or advertise in forthcoming quarterly issues of Lab Culture, please email ASLM at newsletter@aslm.org.
Desired article topics include:
Standards & Accreditation; Research; Education & Training; and
Clinical Medicine
(200-400 words maximum)
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ASLM-Botswana Branch Inaugurated
With four public medical laboratories internationally accredited and the launch of the first branch of the African Society of Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), Botswana is a leader in African laboratory infrastructure development. A symposium was held 25-26 June 2012 to celebrate the Botswana Ministry of Health's international accreditation of four public health medical laboratories and to accelerate progress toward broader health facility accreditation. The symposium also launched the first branch of ASLM in Botswana by officially presenting ASLM-Botswana and the newly born Botswana Institute for Clinical Laboratory Professionals (BICLP). The two-day meeting opened with key note speeches from Botswana Assistant Minister of Health Mr. Gaotlhaetse Matlhabaphiri and U.S. Ambassador to Botswana Michelle D. Gavin.
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From the Desk of the ASLM CEO
Dear friends,
I am excited to bring you this month's updates from the ASLM headquarters in Addis Ababa. Recently, I presented "Advancing African Laboratory Medicine in a Sustainable Way" at the annual International Board meeting of the American Society for Microbiology (ASM). ASLM continues to explore institutional collaborations with the ASM, as well as many other global partners. Such collaborative relationships encourage sustainable development of newly launched organizations like ASLM.
In collaboration with Fondation Mérieux and the Ethiopian Health & Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), ASLM hosted the critically important "Focus on Point-of-Care (POC) Diagnostics in Africa" meeting, 8-10 May 2012. More than 60 participants attended the three-day discussion, including leadership from the Ministries of Health from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda as well as private institutions and industry. The objectives included examining where Africa stands currently as it relates to POC diagnostics and exploring ways forward.
I encourage you to stay connected to ASLM and your colleagues via our new website, www.ASLM.org. There are many interactive features, and we continue to expand the functionality of the site. Now on ASLM.org, you can find links to our ASLM2012 conference website. We have received a very enthusiastic and encouraging response to our upcoming international conference in Cape Town, South Africa, 1-7 December 2012, and I am happy to announce that you may now officially submit abstracts for consideration (see information in this message's left column). The ASLM2012 site contains information on participant registration, lodging, and exhibition space: www.aslm2012.aslm.org.
As you know, the microbiological sciences are progressing on the African continent; ASLM strives to maintain and build upon this momentum. Your support is critical not only to the success of ASLM but also to strengthen laboratory capacity throughout Africa. To become involved with ASLM or ASLM2012, please contact us -- we welcome your vital support!
Kind regards,
Dr. Tsehaynesh Messele
Chief Executive Officer, ASLM
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| ASLM Hosts Strategic Discussions on Point-of-Care Diagnostics in Africa
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ASLM POC pre-meeting consultation participants, 7 May 2012
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ASLM, in collaboration with Fondation Mérieux and the Ethiopian Health and Nutrition Research Institute (EHNRI), organized an international meeting, "A Focus on Point of Care (POC) Diagnostics in Africa," 8-10 May 2012, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The meeting brought together key stakeholders at the forefront of POC diagnostics to better understand the current state of this major public health challenge and explore future solutions. It also served as a platform for discussions on POC in Africa involving international organizations, public health institutes, regulatory authorities, and experts and academia.
Its recommendations are expected to contribute to the wider global debate on POC for high endemic countries. Publications in the African Journal of Laboratory Medicine (AJLM) and elsewhere are to follow in the coming months. AJLM is an open-source, peer-reviewed research journal that focuses on the role of the laboratory and its professionals in clinical care and public health in a uniquely African context.
The POC meeting was preceded by a one-day consultation on 7 May 2012 to discuss harmonized regulation of diagnostics in Africa (see picture above) among regulatory authorities and Ministry of Health (MOH) officials from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, and Uganda. Each MOH official also attended the three-day POC discussion.
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POC Meeting Participants, 8-10 May 2012
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ASLM Participates in
13th World Congress on Public Health
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ASLM staff at the promotional exhibit booth
(L to R) Giorgio Roscigno, Tsehaynesh Messele, Teferi Mekonen
Addis Ababa, April 2012
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At the formal request of the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, ASLM proudly participated in the 13th World Congress on Public Health, held 23-27 April 2012 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. In concert with the Congress' theme, "Towards Global Health Equity: Opportunities and Threats," ASLM exhibited its mission, organizational strategy, and achievements during the five-day event. Several hundred attendees visited the booth to liaise with ASLM staff, and dozens of attendees completed membership forms.
Objectives of the Congress aimed to protect and promote public health at global, continental, and national levels, while creating a better understanding of Africa's public health challenges globally.
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