AUTHOR=Diarra Bassirou , Kone Amadou , Guindo Ibrehima , Bane Sidy , Doumbia Lassina , Timbine Lassana , Diallo Dramane , Sanogo Moumine , Togo Antieme Combo Georges , Coulibaly Tenin Aminatou , Diallo Fatimata Amath , Kone Mahamadou , Somboro Anou Moise , Togo Josue , Coulibaly Mariam , Camara Fatoumata A. , Coulibaly Gagni , Diarra Hawa Boukary , Diakite Mahamane Talphi , Abdou Mohamed , Somboro Amadou , Dolo Oumar , Maiga Oumou Ousmane , Keita Daouda , Coulibaly Youssouf , Degoga Boureima , Drame Hawa MBaye , Sow Mariame , Goumane Mariam , Traore Fah Gaoussou , Kone Kadidia , Sanogo Fanta , Diallo Ibrahima B. , Denou Larissa , Sarro Yeya Sadio , Shaw-Saliba Katy , Lau Chuen-Yen , Neal Aaron , Sow Idrissa , Kouriba Bourema , Koita Ousmane , Diakite Mahamadou , Iknane Akory Ag , Doumbia Seydou TITLE=A Coordinated Public Health Laboratory Response to COVID-19 in Mali JOURNAL=Frontiers in Tropical Diseases VOLUME=2 YEAR=2022 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/tropical-diseases/articles/10.3389/fitd.2021.788616 DOI=10.3389/fitd.2021.788616 ISSN=2673-7515 ABSTRACT=

Ability to rapidly and accurate diagnose pathogens during disease outbreaks is essential for public health. Diagnosis depends largely on laboratory capacity, which can be challenging in resource limited settings. We report Mali’s experience involving four research laboratories in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This coordinated effort leveraged the emerging infectious pathogens diagnostic capacity and partnerships built from the 2014/2015 Ebola outbreak. Since Mali’s first two COVID-19 cases in March 2020, 349,292 suspected cases were tested in the four Bamako laboratories as of July 31, 2021. Laboratory operation, safety considerations, diagnostic assays, and challenges are described herein from the perspective of a participating laboratory, the Mali University Clinical Research Center (UCRC). We also highlight additional roles of the UCRC laboratory in the COVID-19 response, including roll out of vaccination and research efforts. Mali’s readiness to detect the index cases early in the epidemic and continued response to the COVID-19 pandemic highlight the need for strengthening the critical role and capacity of clinical research laboratories for response to emerging infectious disease epidemics in Africa.