The BU-LABNET has launched the second round external quality assessment (EQA) Program.

Proficiency testing samples have been shipped through DHL to 14 participating laboratories in the WHO African Region. As of 30 July 2022, all the laboratories had received the panels and are currently testing them for result submission on the 30 August 2022.

The purpose of the EQA program is to assess laboratory performance for diagnosis of Buruli Ulcer through a centralized coordinating system within laboratories in the BU Lab Network.

In March 2022, consumables for Buruli ulcer PCR were purchased and shipped to 12 network laboratories. This was supported by the generous contributions of the American Leprosy Missions.

The BU-LABNET launched the country laboratory evaluation visits in April 2022. The network experts are responsible for this activity which will take place from May to July 2022.

The objectives of the country visits are;

• To evaluate current diagnostic capacities of each laboratory to conduct PCR based diagnosis of BU with high quality.
• To assess gaps in personnel, technical and infrastructural capacity of each member laboratory and create a baseline to plan capacity building activities.

Democratic Republic of Congo; 10th - 11th May 2022

• Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale, Kinshasa.

Gabon; 9th - 10th May 2022

• Centre International de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Gabon.

Ghana; 17th - 21st May 2022

• 18th May: Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, Accra

• 18th May: West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, Accra

• 19th – 20th May: Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research, Kumasi

Nigeria; 24th - 26th May 2022

• Nigerian Institute of Medical Research, Lagos, and St Joseph's Hospital Adazi, Nnukwu

Togo; 28th – 30th June 2022

• National Institute of Hygiene, Lome

Benin; 28th - 30th July 2022

• Centre de Dépistage et Traitement de l’Ulcère de Buruli et de la Lèpre (CDTUB), Pobè

Côte d'Ivoire; 3rd - 6th August 2022

• Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan

The BU-LABNET coordinating center (Centre Pasteur du Cameroun.) have trained two biologists from the Pasteur Institute Bangui of the Central African Republic and the National Public Health Laboratory of Congo on PCR diagnosis for buruli ulcer.
This training held at the Centre Pasteur du Cameroun facility from the 30th August to 3rd September 2021.

Sponsored by FAIRMED as part of the OCEAC NTD project, both countries will start confirming BU cases.