The August Monthly Update

Keep up with what’s happening in laboratory medicine and at ASLM!

Announcement

Uganda is Ebola-free!

The Government of Uganda has officially declared the end of the 2026 Ebola disease outbreak, following the successful completion of the 42-day monitoring period with no new cases detected.

The outbreak, declared on 15 May 2026, recorded 20 confirmed cases, with 18 recoveries and 2 deaths. Uganda’s response demonstrated the critical importance of strong public health and laboratory systems, combining intensive surveillance, rapid molecular diagnostics, whole-genome sequencing, real-time contact tracing, and coordinated incident management.

This achievement is a powerful reminder that investments in preparedness, resilient laboratory systems, and cross-border collaboration are essential to protecting Africa’s health security.

As Uganda celebrates this important milestone, continued vigilance remains critical as Ebola continues to pose a threat across the region.

Explore the ASLM Ebola Response Dashboard and follow the latest response efforts:

🌐🌐https://outbreak.aslm.org/

Sysmex Joins ASLM2026 as First Official Sponsor

We are pleased to welcome Sysmex as the first official sponsor of the ASLM2026 Biennial Conference, taking place in Cape Town, South Africa, from 08–11 December 2026.

As Africa prepares to bring together leaders, scientists, innovators, laboratory professionals and partners, strategic partnerships such as this are essential to advancing integrated diagnostics, innovation and sustainable health security across the continent.

We extend our appreciation to Sysmex for joining us on this important journey and supporting a shared vision for stronger laboratory systems and a healthier, more resilient Africa.

Be part of ASLM2026. Explore sponsorship and partnership opportunities at

https://aslm2026.org/sponsors-partners/

📍 Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa

📅 08–11 December 2026

Theme: Integrated Diagnostics for Health Security: Investing in Sustainable Impact

ASLM2026 Early Bird Registration Extended until 30 September!

You can secure your early bird registration rate for ASLM2026 until 30 September 2026—giving you until the end of the month to register and join Africa’s leading laboratory medicine community in Cape Town.

📅 08–11 December 2026

📍 Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), South Africa

Theme: Integrated Diagnostics for Health Security: Investing in Sustainable Impact

The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) Biennial Conference will bring together laboratory professionals, scientists, policymakers, researchers, public health leaders, innovators, and industry partners from Africa and around the world.

Together, we will explore practical solutions for building stronger, more integrated, resilient, and sustainable diagnostic systems for health security.

Why Attend ASLM2026?

ASLM2026 offers a unique platform to:

• Engage in high-level scientific and policy discussions

• Explore cutting-edge diagnostic innovations and country experiences

• Connect with global experts, partners, and industry leaders

• Exchange practical solutions to strengthen integrated diagnostic systems

• Contribute to shaping the future of laboratory medicine in Africa

🔗 Register for ASLM2026 Conference: https://aslm2026.org/registration-form/

Exhibition Opportunities Are Filling Up!

The momentum for ASLM2026 is already building, with 20 exhibition booths already taken. If your organisation is looking to showcase its products, technologies, services, or innovations to a global audience of laboratory and public health professionals, now is the time to secure your exhibition space.

👉 Explore Exhibition Options & Booth Pricing here

Be part of the movement shaping the future of diagnostics and laboratory medicine in Africa.

We look forward to welcoming you to ASLM2026 in Cape Town!

Unlock the Full Benefits of LabPro Membership! 

Are you making the most of your ASLM membership? If you’re not yet a member—or if you haven’t upgraded—now is the perfect time to do so!

Under your account’s “Subscription” section, you can easily upgrade to LabPro Student or LabPro Professional. Institutions can also join and enjoy all the benefits of membership. Each institutional LabPro membership comes with 50 free LabPro Student memberships, helping you extend the value to your colleagues and students.

LabPro members receive exclusive perks, including:

• Discounts to ASLM programs like the upcoming ASLM Convention in Nairobi, 25–27 November 2025
• Access to premium courses to advance your professional development
• And much more!

Don’t miss out on these opportunities. If you aren’t already a member, join today at aslm.org/membership 

Newest ASLM Resources

• LabCoP ECHO session videos and presentations

RFP Opportunities

• RFP For Consultancy Services For The Integration Of Escherichia Coli Genomic Data Into The Africa CDC African Genomes Archive For Response And Insights

• RFP For Consultancy For The Integration, Deployment, And Capacity Building Of An Integrated Laboratory Intelligence Platform And Dashboards

Quick Links

• ASLM Membership - Register Now!



• ASLM Academy

• ASLM Resources

• African Journal for Laboratory Medicine

• Contact Us

ASLM News Articles



• LabCoP Connect – Expert Opinion

• What’s New

• WHO Launches a Practical QMS Toolkit for Multi-Disease Testing in Non-Lab Settings

• Building resilient diagnostics systems in a constrained fiscal environment

• ECHO Session Summary April – June 2026

Social Media

• In the latest policy brief, discover how innovative approaches to Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) and paediatric HIV case-finding are helping countries close the diagnostic gap for children living with HIV.

• Early Bird Registration for #ASLM2026 is Open!

• Africa CDC, in collaboration with ASLM, is convening the ARILAC Integrated Microbiology Curriculum Design Workshop from 3–7 August 2026 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Publications

African Journal of Laboratory Medicine (AJLM)

Original Research

• Evaluation of visual inspection with acetic acid and Pap smear tests in early cervical cancer screening among women in Meru County, Kenya, May N. Chege, et al.

• Mutational landscape of classical myeloproliferative neoplasms in the Western Cape Province, South Africa, Marthinus J. Dicks, et al.

• Evaluating the utility of storage solutions to preserve nucleic acid integrity at ambient temperature in South Africa, Timothy Moshoma, et al.

• Differential expression of cyclin D1 in pituitary neuroendocrine tumours: Relation to aggressive potential, Kasiemobi E. Uchime, et al.

• Additional sex combs-like 1 variants in an acute myeloid leukaemia and a general elderly cohort in central South Africa, Melissa V. Bergman, et al.

• Implementing laboratory quality management systems in Ghana: A quality audit of accreditation readiness in clinical and public health laboratories (2021–2023), Emma E. Kploanyi, et al.

• Impaired clinical, biological, and cytokine patterns in HIV-1 exposed uninfected newborns in Yaoundé: A comparative study of neonatal immune vulnerability, Sabine A. Touangnou-Chamda

• CAlarming resistance to third-generation cephalosporins and carbapenems among Enterobacterales colonising pregnant women and neonates in eastern DRC, Elias Chipofya

Review Article

• Systematic review on genomic insights into antimicrobial resistance in ESKAPE pathogens, Husna F. Ibrahim, et al

AJLM is open access

No fees for authors or readers

ASLM Podcast Series

• Catch our latest episode of the ASLM podcast series, as discussions focused on the Regional Biosafety and Biosecurity Professional Training Programme and its role in strengthening health security across Africa. Watch the episode. Watch the episode here!

LabCoP Recipe Cookbook 10

• The ASLM LabCoP Recipe Cookbook 10 is here!

Resources

• Download the Policy Brief on Early Infant Diagnosis (EID) and Paediatric HIV Case-Finding here!

Labvoice Newsletter

• The LabVoice Newsletter Issue 03 is here!

Social Media

• What's New at ASLM? Discover the July Edition of the Monthly Newsletter! 📢

• A message from ASLM CEO Nqobile Ndlovu on the launch of the ASLM 2026 Ambassador Challenge.

• During an ECHO session on 6 August 2026, hosted by Africa CDC and ASLM, experts showcased how LabMap 2.0 is transforming laboratory intelligence through a One Health GIS Intelligence Platform

• The latest LabCoP Cookbook Recipe #10 is here!

• ASLM is supporting the Ebola outbreak response in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda with US$907,514 in laboratory commodities, equipment, workforce development and biosafety expertise.

• Africa is taking another important step towards proactive, integrated disease surveillance with the launch of the Wastewater Molecular and Genomic Surveillance in African Megacities (WASTEWISE) Project.

• ASLM Q2 2026 Highlights: Advancing Diagnostics, Partnerships & Health Security

• A four-day assessment is being conducted under the auspices of the World Health Organization (WHO) and Africa CDC, with support from ASLM and the Gates Foundation, in Abuja, Nigeria

• Through the Africa PGI, EPHI is emerging as a central genomic hub, equipped with advanced sequencing technologies and strengthened by specialised training and bioinformatics capacity.

• In August, laboratory system assessments were conducted in Burkina Faso and Mozambique under the auspices of the World Health Organization and Africa CDC, with support from ASLM and the Gates Foundation.

• In the latest edition of LabVoice, explore how Africa CDC and the ASLM are advancing the continent's health security agenda through the 2026–2030 (BBI) Strategy.

• ASLM CEO Nqobile Ndlovu shares highlights from the Partnership to Accelerate Mpox and Other Outbreaks Testing and Sequencing in Africa #PAMTA Annual Review Meeting

• 📣 Registration, Sponsorship Opportunities, and Exhibition Bookings Are Still Open for ASLM 2026!

• NPHL in collaboration with Africa CDC and ASLM, is currently hosting a regional Biorisk Management Training at the Regional Centre of Excellence for Biosafety and Biosecurity (RCoEBB) in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

• As part of the ASLM2026 Ambassador Challenge, RONALD ODERO, a Research Scientist from Kisumu, Kenya, is showcasing an innovative approach to safer and smarter healthcare waste management.

• We are pleased to welcome Sysmex Corporation as the first official sponsor of the ASLM2026 Biennial Conference!

• Africa CDC, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health - Uganda in partnership with ASLM, hosted a Training of Trainers in Field Biosecurity and Specimen Management in Kampala, Uganda, from 14 to 17 August 2026.

• ASLM CEO Nqobile Ndlovu MPH shares insights on the launch of the WasteWise Project – Wastewater Molecular and Genomic Surveillance in African Megacities.

• ASLM, with the support of the Government of Kenya through the Ministry of Health, Kenya, is hosting a Regional WHO/AFRO SLIPTA Auditor Training Workshop in Nairobi, Kenya

• The Ministry of Health, South Africa, has extended a warm welcome to delegates, partners, sponsors, exhibitors, and participants attending the ASLM2026 Biennial Conference.

• The countdown is on! Just 100 days to go until Africa’s leading laboratory medicine and diagnostics community comes together in Cape Town, South Africa, for the ASLM2026 Biennial Conference.

• Through the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI), the Institut National de Recherche Biomédicale Kinshasa is integrating genomic sequencing into national outbreak response systems, helping strengthen the country’s capacity to detect, track, and respond to public health threats

• Africa CDC, in collaboration with ASLM and partners, is participating in the Continental Technical Consultation on the Development of the Continental High Consequence Agents and Toxins (HCAT) List and Validation of the Africa CDC HCAT Guidance Framework.

• ASLM2026 Early Bird Registration Extended Until 30 September!

Upcoming Events

• Training of Trainers (ToT) on Method Validation, Verification, and Measurement of Uncertainty

• ASLM2026 Conference

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