Event highlights
10 June 2024
On 16 May 2024, WHO representatives Dr Mick Mulders and Dr Mark Muscat visited the Bavarian Health and Food Safety Authority (LGL) in Oberschleißheim and designated the LGL’s diphtheria laboratory as a WHO Collaborating Centre.
Laboratory head Professor Andreas Sing and Dr Anja Berger provided valuable insights into the methods of the diphtheria laboratory.
In an opening speech, LGL President Professor Christian Weidner welcomed the WHO representatives and numerous other international guests, including experts on diphtheria and infectious diseases, to the inauguration ceremony, which was followed by a symposium.
“This event marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to combat diphtheria on a global scale. Today, we celebrate not only the formal establishment of this centre, but also the culmination of years of dedicated work by numerous people and institutions,” Weidner said of the designation.
In a video message, Bavaria's Minister of Health Judith Gerlach congratulated the LGL on receiving the WHO award and highlighted the performance of its employees.
Experts from Austria, India, Japan, South Africa and the United Kingdom shared their insights in presentations on vaccines, global challenges and new findings related to diphtheria, both on site and online.
Day-two workshop
On 17 May 2024, an international workshop on diphtheria laboratory diagnostics and epidemiology was held by the Collaborating Centre, following its designation ceremony the previous day. After a short introduction by Professor Sing, Dr Muscat opened the workshop with a lecture on the implementation of current WHO diphtheria case definition and reporting classifications. Other professionals from supporting networks presented on topics including vaccine evolution and zoonotic aspects of diphtheria.
The afternoon offered different country situation reports on diphtheria laboratory diagnostics and epidemiology. Participating countries included Austria, Estonia, Germany, Japan, Spain, Switzerland, and the United States. Experts from other countries representing multiple WHO regions also participated in both days of the event, including South Africa.
Event notice
16 May 2024
At the official launch on 16 May, WHO/Europe will award the WHO collaborating centre designation to the Centre for Diphtheria at the Public Health Institute for the State of Bavaria, Germany. In this capacity, the Institute will serve as a global reference centre, contributing to better understanding, control and prevention of the disease.
Designation as a WHO collaborating centre is the beginning of a mutual partnership between WHO and an institution that brings benefits to both parties, including unrivalled research and expertise, and heightened visibility.
Dr Mick Mulders from WHO headquarters and Dr Mark Muscat from WHO/Europe will award the designation. The programme will include expert presentations on topics such as vaccines to prevent diphtheria, diphtheria as a global task, new aspects of an old disease, and specific country perspectives involving Austria, India, Japan and South Africa.
Housed within the Department of Health Microbiology of the Public Health Institute, the Centre for Diphtheria performs diagnosis for all notifiable infectious diseases for Bavaria and functions as the German national reference laboratory for diphtheria and borreliosis (Lyme disease).
The Centre conducts whole genome-based molecular typing of isolates, which enables it to acquire a better understanding of the pathogen’s properties, including antibiotic resistance, molecular epidemiology and virulence. Part of its role in supporting WHO will be to participate in developing novel diagnostics and laboratory methods, including antibiotic sensitivity testing and diphtheria toxin detection.
Together with the WHO Collaborating Centre for Diphtheria and Streptococcal Infections in the United Kingdom, the WHO Collaborating Centre on Diphtheria in Germany will support WHO’s work related to diphtheria on a global scale.