About PHRL KP

Introduction

Who We Are

The Public Health Reference Laboratory (PHRL) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is a dedicated centre for enhancing public health through cutting-edge diagnostic services, disease surveillance, research, and capacity building. PHRL is hosted at the campus of Khyber Medical University (KMU) in Phase-5, Hayatabad, Peshawar.

Commissioned in 2016 following the Joint External Evaluation (JEE-2016) report, PHRL KP fills a critical gap in provincial public health laboratory infrastructure. Prior to its establishment, the National Institute of Health (NIH) Islamabad was the only public health reference laboratory in the entire country.

The establishment of a provincial PHRL at a medical university is a unique experiment of its kind in the whole region and represents a model for other provinces to emulate.

PHRL serves as an integral part of the Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) system of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, providing confirmatory diagnostics, outbreak investigation, and policy support to the provincial health system.

Tripartite MOU Partnership

Department of Health, KP Primary government authority and policy mandate

National Institute of Health (NIH) Technical oversight and national coordination

Khyber Medical University (KMU) Host institution — premises, infrastructure, and academic support

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Motto: Detect — Prevent — PolicyPHRL exists to detect diseases, prevent outbreaks, and inform health policy.

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IHR ComplianceMeets WHO International Health Regulations for provinces to maintain disease investigation services.

Vision & Mission

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Vision

To be the leading public health reference laboratory of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — safeguarding communities through cutting-edge diagnostics, robust disease surveillance, and a province-wide laboratory network anchored in scientific excellence.

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Mission

To Detect, Prevent, and inform Policy — providing reference-level diagnostic services, supporting disease surveillance and outbreak response, building laboratory capacity across KP, and contributing to evidence-based public health through research and human resource development.

Leadership

Governance & Oversight Committee

PHRL operates under the guidance of a high-level Oversight Committee of senior government, academic, and public health officials.

Position / Member	Role in Committee
Minister of Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	Chairman
Vice Chancellor, Khyber Medical University (KMU)	Member
Secretary Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	Member
Director General Health Services, KP	Member
Dean, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, KMU	Member
Dean, Institute of Public Health, KMU	Member
Director Public Health, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	Member
Deputy Director Public Health, KP	Member
Co-opt Member from NIH & WHO	Member
Director PHRL, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa	Secretary

Director, PHRL KP: Prof. Dr. Yasar Mehmood Yousafzai (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) — MBBS, PGDip, PhD (UK), MHPE — Professor and Director, Public Health Reference Laboratory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

What We Do

Core Functions

01

Reference Diagnostics

Apex reference centre for confirmatory diagnosis and surveillance of infectious and notifiable diseases across KP.

02

Disease Surveillance

Systematic monitoring of 40 notifiable communicable diseases as part of the provincial IDSR system.

03

Epidemic & Outbreak Response

Rapid laboratory investigation and field response during disease outbreaks and public health emergencies.

04

Genomic Surveillance

Whole genome sequencing for pathogen characterisation, variant identification, and molecular epidemiology.

05

AMR Reference Laboratory

Designated AMR Reference Lab for KP; prepares provincial antibiograms and conducts AMR surveillance.

06

Polio Eradication Support

Laboratory support for the national polio eradication programme through molecular sequencing and surveillance.

07

Mobile Laboratory Services

Deploys a mobile BSL-2 laboratory for field outbreak response, post-disaster support, and district diagnostics.

08

Human Resource Development

Capacity building of laboratory professionals across the province through training programmes.

09

Research & Publications

Generates scientific evidence to inform public health policy; supports peer-reviewed publications.

10

Guidelines Development

Develops and disseminates national and provincial laboratory testing protocols for notifiable diseases.

11

Seasonal Disease Alerts

Issues timely awareness letters and alerts for epidemic-prone seasonal diseases to health authorities.

12

PH Lab Network Oversight

Strengthens and supervises a growing network of district public health laboratories across KP.