In April, the Mongolian Ministry of Health invited the Association for Diagnostics & Laboratory Medicine (ADLM) to conduct a workshop to help the Ministry design a national regulatory body modeled in part on the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), The event would mark the second Global Lab Quality Initiative project in Mongolia. The previous event focused narrowly on quality in the lab. This program took a broader approach to lab quality to strengthen laboratory systems throughout the country.
Over the course of two days, ADLM’s Asia-Pacific Subcommittee members presented laboratory regulations, framework establishment, POCT implementation, and laboratory information systems, reaching an audience of 117 laboratorians. Various representatives from the Mongolian Ministry of Health also presented on laboratory policy, diagnostic network optimization, and laboratory diagnostic devices. The event was an integral part of the country’s activities for IFCC Global MedLab Week 2026.
From struggles to solution
Mongolia’s MoH set out to tackle a significant issue, one that had resisted previous efforts.
Khulan Purevdorj, MD, MSc, a collaborative partner on the workshop, explained that despite the MoH’s efforts, “…[C]oordination and integrated information systems among healthcare organizations remain insufficient. In some cases, information related to treatment, diagnostics, and monitoring is not fully interconnected, which affects service efficiency.”
Previously, Mongolia’s public health surveillance was divided across multiple agencies, causing such coordination issues. Further, the implementation of policies and regulations remains inconsistent across institutions. The approval of standards and guidelines notwithstanding, the actual implementation varies depending on human resources, funding, and management capacity.
These challenges, along with an unorganized governing body, led Mongolian laboratorians to call for a single national regulatory body.
Laboratorians and the ministry work together
This time around, Purevdorj, along with Och Ganbat, MD, MSc and Sarantsetseg Jigjidsuren, PhD, MD, recognized brought policymakers, regulators, and laboratorians into the same discussion in any attempt to solve healthcare issues, so they sought to bring the Ministry of Health into the conversation.
“Healthcare challenges,” Purevdorj said, “cannot be solved by a single organization or profession alone. Therefore, it was necessary for policymakers, regulatory bodies, professional associations, and healthcare organizations to participate together.”
While the educational piece of the workshop was important, Purevdorj stressed that the MoH’s participation was crucial to contribute to future policy and regulatory improvements.
“Healthcare challenges,” Purevdorj said, “cannot be solved by a single organization or profession alone. Therefore, it was necessary for policymakers, regulatory bodies, professional associations, and healthcare organizations to participate together.”
While the educational piece of the workshop was important, Purevdorj stressed that the MoH’s participation was crucial to contribute to future policy and regulatory improvements.
Seeking out advice
The day was coming to a close, and despite a long day of educational sessions, little evidence of fatigue could be seen. Participants and MoH representatives approached Asia-Pacific Subcommittee members with a barrage of questions and ideas about the creation of a regulatory body. In these conversations, Robert Rej, PhD, urged MoH representatives to build on existing national systems rather than replace them. Rej’s recommendations pointed to the solidness of the Mongolia’s healthcare systems foundations and indicated that undermining them may lead to greater challenges.
Building on the country's progress
Rej’s recommendations were supported by Purevdorj. She pointed to great progress the country had made since ADLM’s previous visit, including an increased emphasis on quality, safety, and standardization in healthcare. This progress is joined by the increased efforts toward accreditation and the implementation of quality assessment systems. Beyond this, the country has deepened collaboration with international organizations. This workshop occurred at a perfect time –— there was an exchange of ideas and goal-oriented conversation that pushed all parties forward.
Still more work remains to be done to ensure Mongolia’s new regulatory body stands on a firm foundation. Purevdorj believes national standards and quality criteria need to be implemented, and an integrated healthcare information system requires improvement. She would like to see the future regulatory structure not only focus on inspection and control, but also on supporting quality improvement and institutional development.
Institutional advancement to make the goal a reality
As of May 1, 2026, the Mongolian Ministry of Health stated that legislation has been passed to create an official regulatory body in Mongolia. Now, Mongolian laboratory professionals must work on creating and maintaining strong foundations for the body. MoH representatives will work closely with ADLM speakers as policies and procedures are solidified.
ADLM’s workshop acted as an encouragement and council for the creation of a regulatory structure. It was a meeting of multiple groups and individuals to combine efforts and create strong foundations for a regulatory structure. ADLM’s Asia-Pacific Subcommittee looks forward to continuing to offer support and guidance to Mongolia as they continue to build this structure and ensure it stays strong for years to come.
The ADLM/MoH workshop was conducted as a part of the Global Lab Quality Initiative funded by the Wallace H. Coulter Foundation. Any society interested in partnering on a similar workshop should contact [email protected].