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

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.