Event highlights
Modern laboratories need more than advanced equipment and technical expertise; they also need leaders who can manage people and resources, respond to crises, work effectively with government institutions and build fair, inclusive teams.
Under the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the Better Labs for Better Health initiative supports countries in strengthening the laboratory capacities needed to detect, confirm and monitor public health threats. Strong leadership and management are essential to ensure that laboratory services remain effective, efficient and sustainable – even when budgets are limited and costs are rising.
To help develop these leadership skills, the Global Laboratory Leadership Programme (GLLP) was created by WHO together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organisation for Animal Health, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Association of Public Health Laboratories.
The programme develops and mentors current and emerging laboratory leaders across the human, animal and environmental health sectors, using a One Health approach that recognizes the close connections between the health of people, animals and the environment.
The GLLP combines four components: didactic learning, mentorship, practical projects and a community of practice. It is based on 9 core leadership competencies that help participants manage laboratories and contribute to stronger national laboratory systems.
In central Asia, implementation of the programme has expanded steadily. The GLLP was first launched in Kazakhstan in 2021, followed by Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in 2023 and Uzbekistan in December 2024.
Tajikistan develops 3 additional competencies
As the programme continues to grow, countries are adapting it to address their own leadership priorities.
Tajikistan has further strengthened its GLLP implementation by developing 3 additional, context-relevant competencies: anti-corruption policy; gender equality, crisis management and effective interaction with government authorities; and andragogy – the principles and methods of teaching adult learners.
Together, these competencies address issues laboratory leaders may face beyond the technical work of the laboratory, including ethical decision-making, crisis response, cooperation with public authorities, inclusive workforce management and the effective training of adult professionals.
Dr Barno Barotova, a GLLP facilitator in Tajikistan, explained that the additional competencies were developed in response to needs identified during the country’s implementation of the programme. They reflect the understanding that effective laboratory leadership requires not only professional knowledge and technical skills, but also the ability to bring people together, make decisions in difficult situations, listen to different perspectives and ensure equal opportunities for women and men.
“I am proud that Tajikistan has been able to adapt the GLLP to the national context and introduce competencies that respond to the country’s real needs,” said Dr Barotova. “This experience shows that sustainable laboratory systems are built not only on equipment and technologies, but also on people, partnerships, trust and equal opportunities.”
Putting gender-responsive leadership into practice
On 16 June 2026, during the Central Asian GLLP Facilitators’ Workshop on Laboratory Budgeting and Costing in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan’s facilitators team presented a demonstration session from the competency on gender equality, crisis management and effective interaction with government authorities.
The presentation showed how gender-responsive leadership can improve both workforce management and the quality of laboratory services.
Participants explored how to distinguish between sex, gender and gender equality; recognize and assess gender stereotypes in laboratory workplaces; apply a gender-responsive perspective when making management decisions; and identify practical ways to create a fair and inclusive working environment.
A central part of the session was an interactive group exercise based on the creation of a new molecular diagnostics department. Participants were asked to consider how a laboratory manager should assign several important positions, including head of department, quality manager, procurement specialist, staff training coordinator, and coordinator for patient and government relations.
The scenario introduced familiar stereotypes – for example, the assumption that a man might be better suited to lead the department or communicate with government authorities, while women might be more appropriate for documentation, training or patient relations.
Participants discussed how such assumptions could affect management decisions, limit professional opportunities and prevent laboratories from making the best use of employees’ knowledge and abilities.
They then considered how roles should be assigned more objectively.
The key message was clear: decisions should be based on qualifications, experience, competencies, performance, accountability and organizational needs – not on gender, family status or social stereotypes.
For Dr Ainagul Kuatbayeva, Director of the Scientific and Practical Centre for Sanitary and Epidemiological Expertise and Monitoring, a branch of Kazakhstan’s National Centre for Public Health, and GLLP Director in Kazakhstan, the session also demonstrated the practical value of these skills for future laboratory leaders.
“Understanding gender-related needs and barriers can strengthen the communication skills of future leaders, including their ability to negotiate, mentor and work effectively in teams,” said Dr Kuatbayeva. “For laboratory services as a whole, this can help make better use of workforce potential, create equal opportunities for professional growth and reduce the risk of losing qualified specialists.”
Fairer leadership, stronger laboratories
Gender-responsive leadership is not only about fairness; it can help laboratories improve teamwork, prevent discrimination, create safer and more respectful workplaces and ensure that the most suitable people are selected for each responsibility.
By developing additional competencies in integrity, inclusion, crisis management, government engagement and adult learning, Tajikistan is showing how countries can enrich GLLP implementation in ways that respond to real leadership challenges.
This work can help build laboratory services that are not only technically strong, but also more resilient, inclusive and effective.
WHO congratulates the GLLP facilitator team and its partners in Tajikistan on developing these additional competencies and on their commitment to adapting the programme to the country’s priorities. Their work provides a valuable example of how locally developed learning content can complement the global GLLP framework and support stronger laboratory leadership across the region.
As highlighted during the presentation, equality in the laboratory is not only fair, it is effective.
This work was supported by the Public Health Laboratory Innovation Platforms unit, WHO Hub for Pandemic and Epidemic Intelligence in Berlin, with financial support from the Schmidt Initiative for Long Covid, whose contributions are gratefully acknowledged.