Event highlights

As part of the ongoing European Union-funded project to enhance national capacities against COVID-19 and other public health emergencies, the WHO Country Office in Türkiye and  the Ministry of Health of Türkiye continue to deliver specialized trainings across earthquake-affected provinces. The HIV Laboratory Training held in Adana on 16–18 February 2026 is one of several initiatives designed to reinforce laboratory preparedness and response capacity nationwide.

More than 45 health-care professionals from public health directorates across Türkiye participated in the 3-day training, with strong representation from the 11 provinces affected by the February 2023 earthquakes. The training focused on improving early HIV diagnosis, enhancing verification processes and supporting effective surveillance within the public health system.

Importance of resilient laboratory systems in public health preparedness

In the aftermath of the 2023 earthquakes, maintaining uninterrupted access to essential health services has remained a national priority. Increased mobility underscored the importance of reliable surveillance mechanisms and high-quality laboratory services for infectious diseases, including HIV.

Accurate and timely laboratory diagnosis is central to effective disease control. By enhancing molecular detection skills and promoting standardized testing procedures, the training contributes to improved case identification, better data quality and more robust national reporting systems.

“Effective preparedness depends on strong partnerships,” said Ekrem Sağtaş, Head of the Department of Microbiology Reference Laboratories and Biological Products at the General Directorate of Public Health. “Throughout this training, continuous consultation, knowledge sharing and collaboration between institutions reinforced not only laboratory skills, but also the collective capacity of the health system across Türkiye.”

“This initiative reflects our shared commitment to building resilient health systems that can withstand shocks and continue to deliver essential services,” said Altin Malaj, Project Coordinator at the WHO Country Office in Türkiye. “Through sustained collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the support of the European Union, we are enhancing laboratory capacities that are critical not only for HIV response, but also for broader public health preparedness. Strong diagnostic systems are fundamental to protecting communities and ensuring equitable access to care.”

Translating technical knowledge into practical applications

Throughout the training, participants engaged in technical sessions covering early HIV diagnosis, standardized laboratory algorithms, biosafety, quality assurance and data confidentiality. Group discussions encouraged peer exchange on maintaining high testing standards and ensuring accurate linkage between laboratory confirmation and surveillance systems.

After 2 days of training, the participants conducted a visit to the Adana Public Health Laboratory, which enabled them to observe routine workflows and apply key molecular techniques under expert supervision, and ultimately to translate theoretical knowledge into hands-on experience.

“This training allowed us to refresh our theoretical knowledge, while also strengthening collaboration among partner institutions,” noted Dr Zeynep Pınar Taşkan, infectious disease and clinical microbiology specialist from the İzmir Public Health Laboratory. “We deepened our understanding of HIV drug resistance, next-generation sequencing technologies and evolving diagnostic approaches. Most importantly, we enhanced our ability to respond quickly and reliably in our daily laboratory practice,” she noted. 

“This training has been both highly useful and effective,” said one of the trainers, Dr Dilara Yıldıran, medical microbiology specialist from the National HIV-AIDS and Viral Hepatitis Reference Laboratories of Turkey in Ankara. “Early detection and accurate diagnosis are essential in the fight against HIV. In line with our national control programme targets, our objective was to ensure standardization in HIV diagnosis, confirmation, drug resistance analysis and testing procedures across the country. Through close collaboration with our partners, we have made significant progress with this training and will continue working together to sustain these achievements.” 

Building long-term health system resilience

The training was organized in collaboration with the Ministry of Health’s General Directorate of Public Health and the WHO Country Office in Türkiye under the European Union-funded project on “Strengthening national capacities against COVID-19 and other public health emergencies”. The project, implemented by the Türkiye’s Ministry of Health with support from WHO, aims to enhance preparedness for public health emergencies, reinforce technical competencies and improve coordination across provinces.

By investing in the professional development of health-care workers, particularly in earthquake-affected regions, the initiative contributes to greater national capacity to prevent, detect and manage infectious diseases. Improved HIV surveillance and diagnostic capabilities enhance routine service delivery while supporting readiness for future public health emergencies.

To date, as part of the project, several specialized trainings have been held across earthquake-affected provinces, including sessions on surveillance systems, laboratory quality management, monitoring of utilization and additional needs in 11 public health laboratories in these regions. 

Through sustained collaboration and targeted capacity development, the Ministry of Health and the WHO Country Office in Türkiye continue to work towards a more responsive, equitable and resilient health system for communities across Türkiye.