Title:	Laboratory Systems and Public Health in Resource-Limited Settings (LAB-SPHERE)
Keywords:	Public Health Laboratory Health systems Diagnostics Communicable diseases
Country:	Germany
Institution:	Germany - Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM)
Course coordinator:	Dr Daniela Fusco
Date start:	2025-09-15
Date end:	2025-09-26
About duration and dates:	The course always takes place in September and covers a period of 2 weeks; Assignments are to be submitted during the course.
Classification:	advanced optional
Mode of delivery:	Face to face
Course location: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (BNITM) Bernhard-Nocht-Str. 74 20359 Hamburg Tel: +49 40 42818 243 Email: shortcourse@bnitm.de Website: www.bnitm.de tropEd representative: Dewi Ismajani Puradiredja Email: puradiredja@bnitm.de
ECTS credit points:	3 ECTS credits
SIT: 90 SIT (incl. 41 hours lectures/contact time + 32.5 hours group-assignments + 15 hours of self-directed learning + 1.5 hour individual assessed assignment)
Language:	English
Description: At the end of this module the student should be able to: i. Develop strategies to build sustainable laboratory systems in limited-resource settings (i.e., low and middle-income countries, rural areas, remote regions) based on a combination of clinical, social, and operational research methods ii. Design a holistic implementation plan for new diagnostic approaches within the context of public health in limited-resource settings taking into consideration the interdisciplinary disciplinarity of public health (i.e., medicine, socio-anthropological sciences, biology, and epidemiology) iii. Assess key concepts of laboratory services within the context of health services and systems and in response to humanitarian emergencies iv. Explain elements of the laboratory management system, differentiating between different types of laboratories (e.g., diagnostic, research, and reference laboratories) v. Demonstrate awareness of the relevance of interdisciplinary cooperation across the fields of laboratory medicine, medical sciences and public health in response to infectious disease threats, natural disasters, war and conflict, and other humanitarian emergencies
Focus or specific features: The course always takes place in September and covers a period of 2 weeks, in which students engage full-time in face-to-face teaching and learning activities, including lectures (41 hours), individual- and group-based practical sessions (10.5 hours), such as problem-based learning exercises, 15 hours of self-directed learning, as well as a group-based assignment on the implementation of a diagnostic strategy (22 hours), and a written exam (1.5 hours)
Assessment Procedures: ▪ Individual written assignment: 1.5 hour – multiple choice question-based exam (60%) In order to assess LOs iii, iv ▪ Group assignment: oral presentation on the implementation of a diagnostic strategy in a fictional setting (40%) In order to assess LOs i, ii, v If a student fails to reach the pass grade of 50%, they will be provided with a re-sit written essay-based assignment (ca. 1500-2000 words) to be submitted 3 weeks after receiving the assessment results. The individual assignment can be resit only once; in case of a successful resit or resubmission participants will get the pass mark (60%).
Content: Well-functioning and sustainable laboratory services are key components of strong health systems and crucial for strengthening public health and research capacities of countries. This course aims to describe the role of laboratory systems in strengthening health services and research capacity with a special focus on low and middle-income countries (LMIC). The emphasis is on explaining the structure and functions of laboratory systems and their effective and efficient management. Moreover, areas where laboratory systems overlap and/or complement are being considered. Topics to be covered include: ● Introduction to laboratory systems ● Elements of public health as applied to laboratory systems ● Development of laboratory strategic plans at national, regional, local, and mobile levels ● The role of reference laboratories in the management of infectious diseases ● Laboratory management systems, including concepts of biosafety and biosecurity ● The role of diagnostic vs. research laboratories ● Vertical laboratory system approaches (e.g. blood banking) ● Epidemiological methods as applied within the context of laboratory systems (e.g. surveillance methodologies, evaluation of diagnostic tools) ● Social research methods and social aspects of laboratory medicine ● Interdisciplinary communication strategies
Methods: Teaching methods will include lectures (60%), individual- and group-based practical sessions, including case study table top exercises, field operational and biosafety/biosecurity training elements (30%), as well as problem solving exercises (10%).
Prerequisites: No previous formal training in laboratory science and/or medicine is required. However, students should have either a basic training in public health or the diagnosis of infectious diseases. The course is intensive and a strong command of the English language equivalent to English TOEFL test 550 or 213 computer-based or 79/80 internet-based or IELTS band 6.0 is essential.
Attendance: 25 (max. 15 tropEd students)
Selection: LAB-SPHERE strives to have a diverse student group. Selection criteria include: - Time of submission of application - Motivational statement - Previous professional and academic experience - Country of origin (low, middle or high income country) - tropEd student status
Fees: General admission: 1100 €/900 € (early bird registration*) tropEd students and applicants from low and middle-income countries: 800 €/600 € (early bird registration*) * early bird registration = within 2 weeks after acceptance
Scholarships: Participants from low and middle-income countries can apply for travel grants. For more details and the application form, please contact: shortcourse@bnitm.de
Major changes since initial accreditation: Since the last accreditation we implemented the following major changes: ▪ Some of the lectures were exchanged to do greater justice to the overall course topic but also based on participants’ feedback ▪ In response to participants’ feedback on the high workload, more time will be allotted for the group assignment ▪ Prompt participants for online evaluations to get more consistent responses
Student evaluation: Students are asked to submit daily online evaluations for every single session. They are asked to judge both content and educational approach on a scale from 1 to 5 (1=poor, 5=excellent). In addition, they have the option to provide free text feedback. They are also asked to provide feedback for the course overall. The course has been rated consistently high (on average 4.3 out of 5). Participants appreciated that it is comprehensive and interactive. They particularly liked the sessions on “Procurement and purchase“ and “Blood banking”. One of the most frequent comments we have received were on the high workload. Adjustments were made in light of this. Example of recent feedback: Participant (2022): „I enjoyed the overall course very much. The lectures were interesting and the variety with the more interactive exercises and simulations was great! Still, it was quite a lot of work for only 2 weeks. But in the end, it was worth the effort.“
Lessons learned: 25. Lessons learned: ▪ Prioritise content – “less is more” ▪ Participatory & interdisciplinary approaches are well suited to convey the topic of laboratory systems and public health ▪ Collaborate with external experts on specialised topics to improve quality and effectiveness of teaching and learning
tropEd accreditation: First accredited at Online tropEd GA (“Hamburg”), June 2020. Re-accredited in Edinburgh, Sept. 2024; The accreditation is valid until Sept. 2029
Remarks: Students will have access to the BNITM virtual learning environment (Moodle). The Moodle-based Lab-SPHERE course room will be the main means of communication with the group and for sharing key course-related information and training materials, such as lecture handouts. Recommended readings include: Mugambi, Melissa Latigo et al. “How to implement new diagnostic products in low-resource settings: an end-to-end framework.” BMJ global health vol. 3,6 e000914. 16 Nov. 2018, doi:10.1136/bmjgh-2018-000914 - McNerney, Ruth. “Diagnostics for Developing Countries.” Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 5,2 200-9. 19 May. 2015, doi:10.3390/diagnostics5020200
Email Address:	fusco@bnitm.de
Date Of Record Creation:	2020-09-21 05:22:50 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release:	2020-09-21 10:35:41 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked:	2021-11-10 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified:	2024-11-13 09:58:34 (W3C-DTF)