Event highlights
On 23–25 September 2026, 50 health-care professionals and academics from 12 provinces gathered in Gaziantep for a Candidozyma (Candida) auris laboratory training. Bringing together participants working in provinces affected by the earthquakes, the programme focused on laboratory diagnosis, infection prevention and control, case management, outbreak response and genomic surveillance.
C. auris can spread in health-care facilities, cause serious infections and show resistance to some antifungal medicines. It can also be difficult to identify accurately. Early detection and coordinated action across laboratories and health-care facilities are essential to an effective public health response.
The programme combined technical presentations, case discussions and exchanges of experience with a practical visit to the Gaziantep Public Health Laboratory. Participants explored sample collection and transport, laboratory identification, antifungal susceptibility testing and colonization screening. Sessions also considered how genomic surveillance and bioinformatics can support public health decisions.
Dr Nurgül Özcan, Head of the Department of Microbiology Reference Laboratories and Biological Products at the General Directorate of Public Health, emphasized the value of consistent practices across the laboratory network.
“A coordinated laboratory response depends on accurate diagnosis, clear procedures for sample management and strong links between institutions. Bringing together professionals from different provinces helps us share experience and strengthen a common approach to emerging public health threats,” Dr Özcan said.
Associate Professor Dr Nilgün Karabıçak of the National Mycology Reference Laboratory contributed technical expertise on the implementation of C. auris guidance, sample management and colonization screening.
“Identifying C. auris early requires attention at every step, from collecting and transporting a sample to interpreting the laboratory result. Discussing real cases and observing laboratory practices help turn guidance into decisions that professionals can apply in their own settings,” Associate Professor Dr Karabıçak said.
Representing the WHO Country Office in Türkiye, Dr Gültekin Ünal, National Professional Officer for Laboratories, highlighted the role of collaboration in responding to health threats.
“Technical skills and collaboration go hand in hand. When laboratory and health-care professionals learn together and share experience, they are better equipped to detect threats early and mount a coordinated response,” Dr Ünal said.
The training brought together participants from provincial health directorates, hospitals, universities and public health laboratories alongside national and international experts. It provided an opportunity to share practical experience, promote consistent approaches and strengthen professional connections across institutions.
The training was held within the framework of the European Union-funded project on strengthening national capacities against COVID-19 and other public health emergencies, implemented by the WHO Country Office in Türkiye in collaboration with the Ministry of Health to strengthen early detection of and response to public health emergencies.