Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL)

The Association of Public Health Laboratories mainly bolsters the laboratories in the United states and throughout the world who are devoted towards public health serving. APHL governs the local and state government labs in the USA. The members of this association are known as “public health laboratories,” who sole concern is to protect the health and safety of Americans BY monitoring and detecting health threats. APHL serves the task to bring laboratories, staff from multiple disciplines, that includes public health, environmental, agricultural and food safety laboratories under a common roof. It provides assurance for significant vigilance, detection and response to health threats by collaborating with public health partners and laboratories. Generally the association works in alliance with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Health Resources and Services Administration, the Food and Drug Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency and also the federal agencies to work out national health initiatives. In times of public health emergencies APHL coordinates the laboratories for effective response.  APHL has worked in 31 countries over the five continents and has been recognized internationally as a leader in laboratory science and practice. The health ministry consults the services of the association for laboratory strategic planning, twinning partnerships, laboratory information management systems, quality assurance and training. International participation is expanding for the association as a response to globalization of the disease and currently it has 800 memberships.

Laboratory Efficiencies Initiative, was carried out in collaboration of CDC-APHL to maintain essential public health testing services and the Laboratory System Improvement Program (L-SIP), which enhanced the efficacy of state and local public health laboratory systems through a guided process of evaluation and system improvements. These are examples of some initiatives carried out by the APHL in association with state and local health partners.

Each issue of APHL's quarterly magazine, Lab Matters, considers a pressing health issue of importance to public health laboratories.