The Ministry of Health of Peru announced on March 17 that it will hold the third International Technical-Scientific Event, titled “Optimizing the Role of the Laboratory in the Fight Against Tuberculosis: Advances in Diagnosis and Research,” on March 20. The event is organized by the National Institute of Health and aims to promote scientific knowledge exchange, best practices, and new technologies to improve early detection of tuberculosis.
The virtual meeting is part of activities marking World Tuberculosis Day, observed every March 24. It will bring together national and international specialists to discuss scientific and technological advances in detecting and controlling tuberculosis.
Participants will include health professionals, researchers, clinical laboratory specialists, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Health, National Institute of Health, regional health directorates, EsSalud, Armed Forces, National Police, hospitals, and academic institutions.
The event aligns with the global “End Tuberculosis” strategy led by the World Health Organization. This strategy seeks to accelerate actions to eliminate this preventable and curable disease. According to the Global Tuberculosis Report 2025, tuberculosis remains among the top ten causes of death worldwide and is the leading cause by an infectious agent. In 2024 alone, an estimated 8.3 million people were diagnosed for the first time with TB; among them, 390,000 developed rifampicin-resistant or multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.
Topics at the event will include the status of tuberculosis in the Americas and Peru; drug-resistant TB; strengthening Peru’s National Laboratory Network; implementation of molecular PCR platforms for diagnosis; laboratory biosafety; updates on diagnostic algorithms; quality management under ISO 15189 standards; and advances in epidemiology and genomic sequencing for disease surveillance.
Speakers will feature Dr. Ernesto Montoro from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), specialists from Peru’s Ministry of Health and National Institute of Health, as well as researchers Darío García de Viedma from Spain and Luis Armando Narváez Díaz from Mexico. Registration for this free scientific session can be completed online.
