By Mekonnen Teshome
(Addis Ababa : March 18, 2024) : The Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) said that it is striving to strengthen the national pathogen genomics surveillance capabilities through advancing competences in next-generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics.
Heads of EPHI have stated this today while a five-day โNext-generation Sequencing and Bioinformatics Trainingโ kicks off at the National Training Center (NTC) of the institute.
Delivering his opening remark at the occasion, Deputy Director General of the institute Dr. Getachew Tollera said that EPHI has been working to advance the national pathogen genomics and bioinformatics potentials for research and surveillance in partnership with pertinent stakeholders and partners.
The Deputy Director General said that by expanding and strengthening the instituteโs next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics analysis capacity, it strives to deliver high-quality scientific evidences that will positively impact public health policies, enhance decision-making processes, and ultimately improve the lives of Ethiopians.
Bacterial, Parasitic and Zoonotic Diseases Research Director at EPHI Dr. Geremew Tassew also indicated that the core objective of the present training is to enhance the capabilities of the trainees on the management, processing and analyzing pathogen genomic data through effective utilization of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics sciences.
According to Dr. Geremew, the training would also help the institute to reinforce its public health surveillance activities by identify potential disease outbreak loopholes, both in the context of human and zoonotic diseases, and thereby to fortify preparedness and responses to prevent the public from potential pandemics.
He said: โAs a modern and emerging techniques genomic next-generation sequencing and bioinformatics are key for the timely identification of potential pandemics and to be proactive for disease prevention and preparedness.โ
Dr.Atsbeha Gebreegziabxier, a researcher at the newly established genomic sequencing and bioinformatics core laboratory facility of EPHI, on his part underlined : โEthiopia has now all the vibrant human capital in the field ofย biotechnology and acquires state-of-the-art equipment for genomic sequencing and analyzing, but what we need today is the skill sets in bioinformatics and analyzing big data to generate quality information for decision making.โ
Therefore, he pointed out, the institute has organized the training for participants drawn from various departments of the institute and some universities in the country. Similarly, capacity-building programs would also continue in the future to realize EPHIโs strategy related to genomics and bioinformatics.
As to Dr.Atsbeha, some 40 participants are taking part in the five-day training given by experts from Washington University, EPHI, Africa CDC and UDCDC.
Dr. Scott A. Handly, a trainer from Washington University, said that the training will focus on the application of bioinformatics principles, methods, and software tools to analyze, integrate, and interpret sequenced data and information.
Next-generation Sequencing and bioinformatics are instrumental to track and monitor different infectious organisms in a population and the training is vital to equip the Ethiopian experts with the necessary skills and contribute their share in the area.
โThe outcomes of this training will not only enhance Ethiopia’s pathogen genomic surveillance and research capabilities but also pave the way for sustainable development and innovation in public health initiatives, both within Ethiopia and across the African continent. By strengthening partnerships, fostering collaborations, and ensuring a robust financing mechanism, we envision the establishment of a reference hub for the region,โ Deputy Director General Dr. Getachew stated his expectations.
The training workshop is made possible through the joint efforts of EPHI, the NIH-funded Centers for Research in Emerging Infectious Diseases โ Epidemiology, Surveillance and Pathogenesis (CREID – ESP), and Washington University School of Medicine , he added.
He also recalled that the institute inaugurated the Integrated Pathogen Genomics and Bioinformatics Facility a month ago, and he described it โa significant step forward in our capacity-building efforts.โ