Dr Sabira Tahseen

Dr Sabira Tahseen is a TB laboratory expert, a medical graduate with a specialisation in clinical pathology. She started her professional carrier in 1989 and has remained affiliated with TB diagnostic laboratories since 1993. She joined the National TB Programme Pakistan in 2003 and is heading the National TB Reference Laboratory. Her key contribution includes technical guidance for scale-up of QA diagnostic services, the establishment of the National TB Reference Laboratory and successful implementation of National TB disease and drug resistance surveys. As a Technical Advisor within the NTP, she provides guidance on policy making, planning for rollout of new diagnostics, programmatic management of drug-resistant TB and surveillance of drug resistance. As a Core Group Member of the Global Laboratory Initiative and regional Green Light Committee (rGLC) for the Eastern Mediterranean region, she has also contributed in the development of various handbooks & tools. She has also served as a Member of several Guideline Development Groups convened by WHO. The National Reference Laboratory (Pakistan) is currently involved in collaborative research projects with supranational reference laboratories (Milan and Antwerp). She has also participated in international TB reviews and monitoring missions.