The Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit of the Fondazione Centro San Raffaele (FCSR) in Milan, Italy organises training courses aimed at laboratory personnel, bacteriologists, microbiologists and molecular biologists performing TB bacteriology as well as at laboratory managers and technologists in quality management systems.
The training program includes the organisation and management of diagnostic laboratory services, internationally approved methods of TB laboratory diagnosis, TB drug susceptibility testing, TB drug resistance surveillance and novel molecular methods in TB diagnosis and epidemiology. The course will be conducted in English and French languages. Special emphasis will be laid on implementation in high burden countries. The FCSR is an accredited scientific institute linked to large hospital and the University Vita-Salute San Raffaele (UniSR). The Emerging Bacterial Pathogens Unit (EBPU), headed by Doctor Daniela Maria Cirillo, is a research group within FCSR and its research interests relate to all aspects of TB, other mycobacterial diseases, and nosocomial infections. We focus on active disease and latent TB infection diagnosis, molecular epidemiology of TB, drug resistance, and broader public health problems posed by these diseases, both in the EU and non-EU Member States. The Unit hosts a WHO Collaborating Centre in Tuberculosis laboratory strengthening (WHOCC ITA-98) as well as a WHO/IUATLD Supranational Reference TB Laboratory (SRL), Milan within the Global Programme on Drug Resistance in tuberculosis, providing technical assistance in the fields of new diagnostics and molecular assays to endemic countries in Africa, Asia and Eastern Europe. Particular areas of expertise include general microbiology and TB Laboratory strengthening, DRS and operational research protocols development, training packages development, research on new diagnostics for active and latent TB infections, nosocomial infections. EBP Unit provides technical support to the following countries: Albania, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Turkey, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Nigeria, Tanzania (Zanzibar), Tunisia, and Iraq. We have also conducted project evaluations and national program reviews in the Russian Federation, Mauritania, Senegal, The Philippines, Ukraine and Vietnam. 
Training courses
Three training modules are available: Module 1. Traditional methods for mycobacterial diagnosis Module 2. Molecular diagnosis of drug-resistant TB and molecular typing Module 3. Laboratory Quality Management System Modules 1 and 2 are based on the WHO’s and other training material, and have a duration of 5 working days. Under individual agreement the participant can extend the practical work up to 2 weeks. Module 3 is based on the WHO “Laboratory Quality Management System Training Toolkit” and has a duration of 10 working days. The course is addressed to laboratory managers, biologists and technologists in quality management systems. |
| |||
