Asset Publisher

Research & Innovation Programmes
Research

EpiGen

Building Scalable Pathogen Genomic Epidemiology in Ethiopia

DNA chain
Photo: Canva
Duration
01/06/2023 - 01/06/2027
Coordinator
Amsterdam Institute for Global Health and Development (AIGHD)
Funded by
EDCTP3

The 21st century is witnessing an increased incidence of epidemics (Zika, Dengue, Ebola, SARS), with the recent COVID-19 being the latest highlight. Following the outbreak of several infectious diseases in the last decade, the need to generate real-time pathogen genomic data for public health interventions has become more important than ever.

In the African context, infrastructure, human resource capacity, data analysis including bioinformatics, lack of linkage between clinical, epidemiological and pathogen genomic data and interaction between clinicians, researchers and decision makers are some of the major challenges.

Objectives

The EpiGen project aims to build capacity for integrated pathogen genomic surveillance for informed public health decision-making.

The overarching specific objectives include strengthening the collection and analysis of clinical and epidemiological data; enhancing the capacity and capability for pathogen genomic sequencing, including strengthening laboratory infrastructure, human resources, pathogen genomic data analysis and integration of metadata with genomic data; developing and implementing innovative digital diagnostic platforms; creating semi-real-time mobile phone applications for policy making; and promoting communities of practice and knowledge exchange by fostering African collaboration and networking in the field of pathogen genomic surveillance for infectious diseases.

The Consortium

The multidisciplinary consortium of the EpiGen project consists of several Ethiopian institutions involved in national public health programmes and EU partners (Netherlands, Spain and Germany).

Overall, the model approach proposed by EpiGen will strengthen Ethiopia's national efforts to reduce the threat of infectious diseases. The implementation of national genomics-informed surveillance for infectious diseases will play an important public health role in contributing to disease prevention and control programmes in Ethiopia and beyond.

Total Funding

5,500,000 € (EDCTP3)

Our Team

ISGlobal Staff Involved

Other projects

See Past Projects

COMBACTE

Combating Bacterial Resistance In Europe

GAMA

Development of Novel Gastrointestinal Biomarkers for Use in HIV Incidence Determination in a Sub-Saharan African Setting

COMBACTE-CARE

Combatting Bacterial Resistance in Europe - Carbapenem Resistance

MAMAH

Improving Maternal and Infant Health by reducing malaria risks in African women: evaluation of the safety and efficacy of dihydroartemisinin-piperaquine for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria in HIV-infected pregnant women

INTE-AFRICA

Integrating and decentralizing diabetes and hypertension services in Africa

ICARIA

Improving Care through Azithromycin Research for Infants in Africa

PreFIT

Predicting the Future: Incipient Tuberculosis

ANTICOV

Large Clinical Trial in Africa on the Treatment of Mild Cases of COVID-19

Stool4TB

Evaluating a new stool based qPCR for diagnosis of tuberculosis in children and people living with HIV

TB-RECONNECT

Reconnecting Transmission to Global Tuberculosis Control by Mapping Pathogen Transmission Events to Host Infection Status

SToolNIH

Quantifiable stool-based TB PCR to Improve Diagnostics and Treatment Monitoring

END-VOC

ENDing COVID-19 Variants Of concern through Cohort studies (END-VOC)

TwinAir

Digital Twins Enabled Indoor Air Quality Management for Healthy Living

ENDÈMIC

Community knowledge generation through scientific culture, urban ecology and art

Hepatitis C Free Baleares

Eliminating hepatitis C on the Balearic Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza): a study in governmental and non-governmental addiction service centres, a mobile methadone unit and a prison to test and link people who use drugs to HCV care.

FLAVOBAC

Nuevas moléculas de oro coordinadas con flavonoides contra bacterias patógenas multirresistentes prioritarias

NHEPACHA

New Tools for the Diagnosis and Evaluation of Chagas Disease

RTS,S Vaccine Immunology Study

Study of immune correlates of protection against malaria after vaccination with RTS,S/AS01E: a comprehensive immunological arm of a Phase III double-blind, randomized, controlled multi-center trial

Euroleish.net

Control of Leishmaniasis. From bench to bedside and community

GREPIMER

Grup de recerca en patología importada i malaties emergents i re-emergents

TESEO

New chemotherapy regimens and biomarkers for Chagas Disease

ASINTMAL

Unravelling Disease Tolerance and Host Resistance in Afebrile 'P. falciparum' Infections: a Prospective Study in Mozambican Adults

ADAM

Malaria mass and focal drug administration to advance malaria elimination in Mozambique: accelerating programmatic implementation and policy translation

MULTIPLY

MULTIple doses of IPTi Proposal: a Lifesaving high Yield intervention

Science4Pandemics

Citizens engagement digital platform for collective intelligence in pandemics

HIDDENVIVAX

Novel organ-on-a-chip technology to study extracellular vesicles-mediated cryptic infections in Plasmodium vivax malaria

MalTransc

Transcriptional regulation of adaptation and developmental decisions in malaria parasites: from epigenetic variation to directed transcriptional responses

BOHEMIA

Broad One Health Endectocide-based Malaria Intervention in Africa

RESPONSE

Mechanisms of the transcriptional responses to changes in the environment in the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum

VivaxEVTalk

Extracellular Vesicles as Intercellular Communicators and Biomarkers of Cryptic Erythrocytic Infections in Plasmodium vivax malaria

VaMonoS

Unravelling the heterogoneity and function of monocytes in vaccination and immunity to malaria

CLIMSOCTRYPBOL

Insight on climate and social participatory research for integral management of vectorborne zoonosis caused by Trypanosoma cruzi and Leishmania spp. in the Bolivian Gran Chaco.

SexMal

Social affairs and sex in P. falciparum: implications for malaria elimination

MENA Migrant Health

Transforming data collection and surveillance to drive migrant health research, care and policy

MESA

Sharing knowledge and catalyzing research towards a malaria-free world

GenMoz

P. falciparum genomic intelligence in Mozambique

SMART

Identifying Severe Malaria with a new Aptamer-based Rapid diagnostic Test