In a new achievement reflecting the Ministry of Health’s commitment to enhancing service quality: International accreditation awarded to the National Influenza Center of the Public Health Laboratories

In a new milestone that reflects the Ministry of Health’s continued dedication to enhancing the quality of laboratory services and reinforcing its standing within global health networks, the National Influenza Center, part of the Public Health Laboratories, has received the External Quality Assessment certification for the detection of influenza and COVID-19 viruses. The certification, issued by the World Health Organization (WHO), marks the twelfth consecutive year the center has achieved the highest score since 2013.

This accomplishment reaffirms the Kingdom of Bahrain’s leading position within the Eastern Mediterranean Region’s Acute Respiratory Infection Surveillance Network and highlights its ongoing commitment to sharing data with global reference centers in accordance with the highest technical and laboratory standards.

On this occasion, Dr. Samya Ali Baharom, Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health at the Ministry of Health, affirmed that this international accreditation reflects the competence of national cadres in accurately and professionally detecting and analyzing respiratory viruses. It also demonstrates the readiness of Bahrain’s national health system to respond swiftly to public health emergencies and epidemics.

For her part, Ms. Amjad Al-Ghanem, Head of the Public Health Laboratories at the Ministry of Health, praised the continuous efforts of the technical and administrative teams at the center. She emphasized that this sustained excellence in international evaluations strengthens the development of national surveillance programs and highlights Bahrain’s progress in combating infectious diseases on both the regional and international levels.