Laboratory-Based Disease Surveillance Training

Course Overview

Communities across eastern Africa face a huge burden of infectious disease, and in the last decade have become increasingly subject to sudden and widespread disease outbreaks. Approaches to controlling the impact of infectious diseases on the health of the population include improved surveillance of selected priority diseases and early and effective responses to potential disease outbreaks. Fundamental to these strategies is the correct identification of causative agents of disease through accurate laboratory testing, both at peripheral and reference levels. Laboratory services play a critical role at peripheral levels of health care delivery, where many diseases with the potential to cause outbreaks may be rapidly diagnosed using basic laboratory tests. Laboratory services are also responsible for referral of specimens to reference centres for further investigation, using national and regional networks.

The course is approved by the KMLTTB for award of 50 CPD points

COURSE OVERVIEW

Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) is a strategy of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO AFRO) adopted by member states in 1998, that aims to improve disease surveillance, including the use of laboratory data, for control of priority infectious diseases that are the leading cause of death, disability, and illness in the African region. IDSR is a comprehensive strategy for capturing regular data on priority diseases by rationalising the use of resources in an integrated system. The district level is the focus for integrating disease surveillance functions as the first level in the health system with full-time staff dedicated to all aspects of public health, such as diagnostic services, mobilising community action, and advocating for support from national and other stakeholders. Implementation of the IDSR strategy includes effective support by the laboratory services at district level with staff competent in essential techniques for disease recognition, and use of specimen referral systems for accurate disease confirmation.

COURSE ORGANISATION & STRUCTURE

The 11-week blended LBDS course, approved by the KMLTTB for award of 50 CPD points is structured in three phases. Phases One and Three are conducted through distance learning at the participants’ workstations. Phase Two is residential training conducted at the Amref Health Africa’s Central Laboratory facilities in Nairobi. The course can be tailored to support specific requirements, on request

· Phase One: two weeks’ pre-training phase equivalent to 30 hours of course work comprising a self-assessment checklist sent to participants to evaluate the capacity of their laboratory for disease surveillance and outbreak investigation. This phase will be conducted between 26 January to 6 February 2026 and 29 June to 10 July 2026

· Phase Two: one-week, equivalent to 40 hours of class-based instruction designed to equip participants with the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed for disease surveillance and outbreak investigations. Phase 2 will take place at Amref’s Central Laboratories in Nairobi or, where applicable, at relevant Ministry of Health departments. This phase will be conducted between 16 -20 February 2026 and 20 – 24 July 2026

· Post-training phase: Eight weeks’ work-based training equivalent to 120 hours of course work to enable participants to implement targeted improvement projects at their places of work. This phase will be conducted between 23 February to 10 April 2026 and 27 July to 18 September 2026

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

At the end of the programme, the graduate will be able to:

a) Apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the implementation of public health programs at national and international levels;
b) Design, plan, implement and evaluate school health programmes in Kenya and the region;
c) Develop innovative public health nutrition programmes linking with other sectors to advance mainstreaming public health nutrition for disease prevention;
d) Apply appropriate epidemiological techniques and methods to conduct research that will contribute to policy and practice in the region;
e) Demonstrate and promote professional ethics, appropriate values, and attitudes in public health management and research.
f) Design and conduct a research thesis on track relevant public health problem and publish an article in a peer reviewed journal

COURSE MODULES

Module 1: Laboratory Surveillance	Topic
	1.	Introduction to IDSR/IHR (2005) and progress in Implementation in East Africa
	2.	Identifying cases
	3.	Laboratory methods in the field for priority diseases
	4.	Recording and reporting of laboratory results
	5.	Data management and analysis
	6.	Principles of outbreak management
	7.	Communication and feedback
Module 2: Laboratory methods	8.	An introduction to collecting transporting and processing water and food samples
	9.	Systematic approach to specimen management
	10.	Collecting, transporting and processing of nasopharyngeal and throat swabs for URTI diagnosis
	11.	Introduction to specimen culture for selected priority diseases
	12.	Collecting, transporting and processing of cerebrospinal fluid
	13.	Collecting, transporting and processing blood culture specimens
	14.	Collecting, transporting and processing stool samples
	15.	Collecting, transporting and processing urogenital samples
	16.	Collecting, transporting and processing sputum Samples
	17.	Collecting, transporting and processing samples for malaria diagnosis
	18.	Collecting, transporting and processing samples for HIV diagnosis
	19.	Collecting transporting and processing food samples
	20.	Collecting transporting and processing water samples
	21.	Way forward and plan of action

COURSE DATES

COURSE FEES

Course Fees: USD 1,100

· USD 500 (equivalent to Ksh60,000) to cover tuition, course and reference materials, stationery, photocopying, courier services for certificates and provision of lunch, tea and snacks.

· An additional USD 600 (equivalent to Ksh76,000) to cover accommodation, dinner, local transport and incidental costs for residential participants

Please note that the course fee excludes participants’ travel-related costs, including air or bus fare, visa fees (where applicable), and travel insurance. For non-Kenya participants, valid travel insurance is mandatory for participation in the residential component in Nairobi

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