Africa CDC Launches a Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Fellowship Program

23 March 2023
Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Addis Ababa)
press release

23 March 2003, Addis Ababa — Today the Africa CDC launched the Africa PGI - Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Fellowship Program, a continental workforce development program targeting public health laboratories in the African Union Member States to improve the use of pathogen genomic data for outbreak detection and disease surveillance.

Over the past few years, Africa CDC through the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI) has led the implementation of capacity building initiatives for pathogen genomics sequencing including an aggressive training agenda through short courses on SARS-COV-2 sequencing and data analytics. Through this effort, most Member States have now in-country sequencing capacity, and with continued support, they are ready to apply genome sequencing for the surveillance of priority diseases in Africa. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of pathogen genomics to inform public health decision-making in Africa but has also highlighted the need for a well-trained workforce to realize the power of next-generation sequencing for other public health functions. Building on existing efforts and to further expand genomics capacity beyond COVID-19, the Africa CDC in partnership with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), and regional centers of excellence has developed and launched the Africa PGI Pathogen Genomics & Bioinformatics Fellowship Program.

"Africa continues to face a growing risk of infectious disease outbreaks. The recent Ebola, Cholera, Marburg, and other outbreaks highlight the urgent need for effective implementation and utilization of pathogen genomics across Africa. It is imperative to strengthen African public health institutions through capacity building and workforce development as the major pillars of the New Public Health Order. This fellowship program is a step forward in our effort to leapfrog outbreak detection and disease surveillance in Africa," said Dr. Ahmed Ogwell, Acting Director General of the Africa CDC. "The public health benefits of next-generation sequencing can only be realized through a well-trained workforce. We are very excited to partner with the Africa CDC in capacity and capability building for pathogen genomics and bioinformatics in Africa," said Nqobile Ndlovu, Chief Executive Officer of ASLM.

The fellowship program

The Africa PGI - Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Fellowship Program has 3 tracks; a wet-lab track (Next-Generation Sequencing of pathogens), a dry-lab track (Public health bioinformatics data analytics, interpretation, and reporting), and a track on genomic epidemiology to be included at a later stage. Overall, the fellowship program aims to support technical experts and future leaders in public health pathogen genomics and bioinformatics in Africa.

"Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic were identified across the pathogen genomics ecosystem, and we are working with our partners to address them. We are extremely excited about this fellowship program, as it is designed to ensure the availability of a qualified workforce that can design, generate, analyze, and interpret genomic data in public health institutions - the need has never been greater or more apparent," said Dr. Yenew Kebede, Head Division of Laboratory Systems and Networks at the Africa CDC.

Over the course of the fellowship, participants will be trained on core competencies with a focus on genomics and data analytics for outbreak detection, viral and bacterial disease surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and malaria surveillance. The fellowship will also provide opportunities for alumni and institutional networks to foster future collaborations across Africa.

Call for the application for the fellowship program is open today - 03 April 2023 for the first cohort of 25 fellows. Africa CDC welcomes applications from all qualified persons from all AU Member States. The fellowship program will prioritize women, youth, and those Member States with limited genomics and bioinformatics capacity.

More information about the fellowship can be found in the Call for applications.

Read the original article on Africa CDC.

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