Strengthening laboratories in response to outbreaks in humanitarian emergencies and conflict settings: Results, challenges and lessons from expanding PCR diagnostic capacities for COVID-19 testing in Yemen.

Background: When the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, Yemen, a country facing years of conflict had only one laboratory with PCR testing capacity. In this article, we describe the outcome of the implementation of molecular based diagnostics platform in Yemen and highlight the key milestones the country went through to increase access to testing for its populations residing in a geographically vast and politically divided country.

Methods: A retrospective assessment of COVID-19 laboratory response activities was done detailing the needs assessment process, timelines, geographical coverage, and outcomes of the activities.

The first 2 months of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in Yemen: Analysis of the surveillance data.

Introduction: Yemen was one of the last countries in the world to declare the first case of the pandemic, on 10 April 2020. Fear and concerns of catastrophic outcomes of the epidemic in Yemen were immediately raised, as the country is facing a complex humanitarian crisis. The purpose of this report is to describe the epidemiological situation in Yemen during the first 2 months of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic.