Transforming Tuberculosis Diagnosis: Modern Technologies, Drug Resistance, and Public Health Integration is a live virtual training course from the Public Health Academy of Saudi Arabia's Public Health Authority (Weqaya).
Dates: 28–30 September 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM (Riyadh time), each day
Format: Online, live and synchronous
Registration: through the Public Health Academy learning platform (sign-in required)
About the course
This three-day programme strengthens the knowledge and practical competencies of healthcare and laboratory professionals in tuberculosis diagnostics. It is delivered by a panel of experts in the field and covers advanced diagnostic technologies, specimen management, biosafety, quality management systems and public health integration. Teaching is aligned with the National TB Diagnostic Guidelines and relevant international standards.
Tuberculosis remains a public health priority, and fast, accurate diagnosis — especially of drug-resistant disease — underpins every elimination strategy. The course connects bench to programme: how a specimen is collected and handled, which tests to run and in what order, how to read the results, and how to report them so they feed into national surveillance.
Objectives — by the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Apply national and WHO-recommended TB diagnostic algorithms across various clinical cases
- Interpret conventional and advanced TB diagnostic methods, including microscopy, culture, drug susceptibility testing (DST) and molecular testing
- Implement standard biosafety, biosecurity and laboratory quality management systems
- Enhance reporting and data integration with the National Tuberculosis Program (NTP) to support national TB elimination efforts
Topics covered
- Modern TB diagnostic technologies and molecular assays
- Detecting and interpreting drug resistance
- Specimen collection, transport and management
- Laboratory biosafety and biosecurity
- Quality management systems in the TB laboratory
- Public health integration, reporting and surveillance
Who should attend
Healthcare and laboratory professionals involved in TB diagnosis, care, surveillance, research, and quality or biosafety — including clinical microbiologists, laboratory specialists and technologists, infectious disease and pulmonary physicians, infection control practitioners and public health staff.
Organiser: Public Health Academy, Public Health Authority (Weqaya), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia — part of the Health Sector Transformation Program under Vision 2030. Follow @Saudi_PHA for updates.
