Debi Boeras and Anyess Travers of GHIG were at the African Union in Addis Ababa for a 2 day planning meeting for the 4th international ASLM conference (ASLM2018). The meeting was also attended ASLM, Africa CDC, and IRESSEF. The theme for this conference will be the role of the laboratory in preventing and controlling the next pandemic in Africa, bringing together scientific leaders and champions on the continent and globally.