ASLM commends appointment of Dr. Matshidiso Moeti as WHO Regional Director for Africa

MEDIA CONTACT:
Corey White (ASLM Senior Communications Officer), Email

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (4 February 2014) – The African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM) commends the appointment of Dr. Matshidiso Moeti to serve as the next World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa. Dr. Moeti is a distinguished clinician that has served in leadership positions for more than 35 years within WHO, UNAIDS, UNICEF and the Botswana Ministry of Health.

ASLM applauds her track record of health systems strengthening and recommits itself to working hand-in-hand with WHO to achieve the ASLM2020 strategic vision – improved patient care and disease prevention and control through a strengthened laboratory workforce, laboratory accreditation, harmonised pan-African regulatory systems, and strengthened national and regional laboratory networks.

“While the recent Ebola outbreak has placed a huge strain on healthcare resources across the continent, it has also highlighted the critical need for investment to build a more robust, consistent and sustainable health infrastructure,” says Dr. Tsehaynesh Messele, ASLM Chief Executive Officer. “Dr. Moeti’s work has pushed for sustainable, robust African health systems, and ASLM pledges to continue its work with WHO to strengthen diagnostic services to better address such health challenges. No government or organisation can do it alone.”

ASLM is a pan-African professional body endorsed by the African Union that advocates for the critical role and needs of laboratory medicine.