EMLab Core Training 2026

The EMLab, coordinated by Dr. Sophie Duraffour from the BNITM, together with its worldwide network of volunteers, plays a critical role in global outbreak preparedness and response. Mobile laboratory units can be rapidly deployed to affected regions, enabling on-site diagnostic capacity where it is needed most. 

The training comes at a particularly relevant time with the unfolding outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. 

Strengthening International Response Capacity

The week-long training covers all essential aspects of deployment, including field diagnostics for human samples, biosafety and biosecurity protocols, media and stakeholder communication, power and logistics management, and real-world troubleshooting. The training is structured to reflect the operational realities of deploying a laboratory in resource-limited and high-pressure environments, leveraging on more than 12-years expertise in field diagnostics.

Beyond technical skills, the training places strong emphasis on cross-institutional collaboration and international networking — capabilities that prove essential when outbreak response requires rapid coordination across borders and organisations. A team of eight trainers from the EMLab network will closely mentor the teams, and the participation of other colleagues from each institution in role-plays will be essential to build up the scenario. 

The 13 participants — selected international experts from across the EMLab network — will begin the training at the BNITM in Hamburg (28 – 29 June), before moving on to the RKI in Berlin for the final sessions (29 June – 3 July). 

We would like to thank all sending institutions across Europe for enabling volunteers to join the EMLab pool, as well as our long-standing partner, altona Diagnostics for supporting this training by providing RealStar® Filovirus Screen RT-PCR kits, the Global Health Protection Programme (GHPP) (AfroLabNet³ and CELESTA-2.0 (BNITM) and SMILE (RKI)) for funding this training and the European Commission past funding (EMLab-IMPACT) which enabled the upgrade of the EMLab capacity. 

Training at the Heart of Outbreak Preparedness

The EMLab network is a vital asset, and this training is central to keeping it operational and ready. As certified capacity in the European Union Civil Protection Pool (ECPP) and WHO-GOARN partner, investing in training and preparedness now is essential to ensure an effective response tomorrow. 

The BNITM serves as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Arbovirus and Hemorrhagic Fever Reference and Research, as a WHO Collaborating Center for Behavioral Research in Global Health (BRIGHT) and hosts the National Reference Centre for Tropical Pathogens, making it one of Europe's foremost institutions for tropical infectious disease expertise.

The Robert Koch Institute (RKI) is Germany's federal public health institute, responsible for disease surveillance, prevention, and control. The RKI plays a central role in national and international outbreak preparedness and response.