To contribute to improving quality of laboratory services for effective surveillance and monitoring of HPV vaccination impact, WHO has initiated a global HPV LabNet. The LabNet tasks are to facilitate implementation of standardized, state-of-the-art HPV laboratory methods by introducing international standards, proficiency testing reagents/methods, standard operating procedures and quality assurance (QA) programs in order to make results comparable across laboratories worldwide. The LabNet is also intended to form the basis for development of a global network for HPV surveillance by using standardized and harmonized laboratory methodologies in order to provide sound data to policy-makers. The LabNet is composed of 2 global reference laboratories (GRL) and 1-2 regional reference laboratories (RRL) in each WHO region. The GRL provide coordination of the network, lead development of QA programs and perform confirmatory testing of samples from regions. The GRL also oversee the HPV prevalences and vaccination impact worldwide through collaboration with RRL. Eventually, a formalized global HPV laboratory network will provide HPV surveillance and vaccination impact evaluation in an internationally harmonized way. Effective HPV surveillance programs will be an essential component of appropriately implemented HPV vaccination programs. Such surveillance should be based on internationally standardised and quality assured laboratory methods in order to make results comparable across laboratories in the world.

WHO HPV LabNet Global Reference Laboratory Malmö

HPV in Human Pathology. Prague, Czech Republic, May 1-3, 2008

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