Ethiopia National TB Reference Laboratory Assessed for WHO Centre of Excellence Designation

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – June 2025
The East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), in collaboration with the Uganda Supranational TB Reference Laboratory (SRL), continues to support Ethiopia’s National TB Reference Laboratory (NTRL) in its journey to become a WHO-designated National Centre of Excellence (NCE).

This week, a high-level team from the WHO SRL Network conducted an on-site assessment of Ethiopia NTRL’s capacity, systems, and readiness to serve as a regional Centre of Excellence. The designation would position Ethiopia NTRL to provide advanced TB diagnostic services for over 120 million people and support the broader regional laboratory network.

The delegation visited multiple facilities and held extensive discussions with key stakeholders including the Ethiopia Public Health Institute (EPHI), WHO Ethiopia, and international partners. The assessment highlighted the strong commitment from national actors and the remarkable progress made by the laboratory in recent years.

ECSA-HC remains committed to supporting Ethiopia’s efforts in strengthening diagnostic capacity and expanding access to quality TB laboratory services across the country and region.

Special thanks to WHO HQ, WHO Ethiopia Country Office, EPHI, and all our partners involved in this vital milestone.