First annual meeting of the European Reference Laboratory Network for Tuberculosis (ERLTB-Net)
Kick-off meeting and large capacity building workshop of the ERLTB-Net. The meeting was a place for information exchange, networking, analysis of ERLN-TB achievements and planning of future initiatives.
This was the kick-off meeting and large capacity building workshop of the ERLTB-Net. The event was attended by 45 participants from 34 national reference laboratories from the EU/EEA and EU enlargement countries, three TB laboratory support experts, as well as members from the multidrug-resistant (MDR) TB Surveillance Group for molecular typing reference functions and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control representatives.
Main conclusions
The meeting was a place for information exchange, networking, analysis of ERLN-TB achievements and planning future initiatives. There were discussions regarding the implementation of activities during 2014-2015, mainly the EQA schemes, reference and support activities and training.
Meeting background
Following the success and achievements of the European Reference Laboratory Network Tuberculosis (ERLN-TB) network between 2009 and 2013, a new European Reference Laboratory Network for Tuberculosis (ERLTB-Net) was re-established in 2014. The main objectives of the network are to strengthen tuberculosis laboratory diagnosis as a means to improve TB control within the EU.
