The RLMF Country Consultation on Laboratory Capacity Strengthening in Abuja, Nigeria, convened 46 key stakeholders committed to eliminating river blindness and lymphatic filariasis across Africa. With over 1 million samples expected to be analyzed in 2026, the meeting focused on identifying challenges and solutions in sample analysis, addressing critical gaps in laboratory capacity, and generating actionable recommendations for RLMF.
Participants included representatives from national laboratories, Ministries of Health from Nigeria, Zambia, Malawi, Cameroon, Mali, Uganda, the DRC, and Ethiopia, and RLMF partners such as The Carter Center, the END Fund, Sightsavers International, WHO Afro’s Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM).
