6 days ago
Cape Town launches new phase of the Genomic Surveillance Project
The launch event at the CERI Headquarters on Stellenbosch University's Tygerberg Campus included a tour of laboratories, a panel discussion and a grant award ceremony attended by senior officials and dignitaries.
Image: Stellenbosch University
Cape Town witnessed a significant step forward in public health as the new phase of the Genomic Surveillance Project was officially launched.
A collaboration between the Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI) at Stellenbosch University and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), this initiative aims to upscale the monitoring and analysis of genetic information from pathogens that pose a threat to public health.
The project is part of the GIZ SAVax Programme, co-funded by the German Government, the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), and the European Union (EU). The launch represents a concerted effort to strengthen local vaccine and pharmaceutical manufacturing in Africa, contributing to the Team Europe Initiative on manufacturing and access to vaccines, medicines, and health technologies (MAV+).
The enhanced funding of R9 million marks an important milestone, bringing the total investment in this partnership to R12 million. This investment will bolster genomics surveillance, particularly targeting important pathogens, including respiratory threats such as Avian Influenza H5N1 and emerging coronaviruses. "This partnership exemplifies how science, government, and international cooperation can come together to strengthen public health systems and respond more effectively to epidemic threats,' said Professor Tulio de Oliveira, Director of CERI.
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The new phase of the Genomic Surveillance Project will build on existing progress with additional funding of R9 million, bringing total investment in the partnership to R12 million.
Image: Stellenbosch University
The launch event at the CERI Headquarters on Stellenbosch University's Tygerberg Campus featured a tour of laboratories, a panel discussion, and a grant award ceremony attended by senior officials and dignitaries. Mr. Fulgencio Garrido Ruiz, EU Deputy Ambassador to South Africa, expressed the importance of this collaboration: 'We are delighted to expand the collaboration with South Africa, especially as it plays a strategic role within the Team Europe Initiative MAV+.'
The EU's MAV+ initiative has mobilised significant resources, including over €700 million for pandemic preparedness across the region, with €10 million directed specifically towards research infrastructure in South Africa. Garrido underlined the vision of enhancing self-sufficiency through local research frameworks to empower nations to independently tackle health crises.
The emphasis on the collaborative aspect of health security was echoed by Sven Hartwig, Deputy Consul General of the German Consulate General, who stated, 'This launch highlights that surveillance for pandemic preparedness relies on partnership and collaboration between the public and private sectors, academia, and civil society.'
Dr. Anban Pillay from the National Department of Health highlighted the cultural shift towards cooperation fostered by CERI and Stellenbosch University. Claudia Aguirre, head of the GIZ SAVax programme, remarked on the programme's role in bolstering capacity building and supporting African scientists in finding solutions tailored to the continent's unique health challenges.
In the first phase of the CERI project, running from 2023-2024, over 1,000 pathogen genomes were sequenced, and more than 50 African scientists trained in genomic techniques. The second phase (2025-2026) will expand genomic surveillance efforts and promote the integration of data crucial for shaping public health policies.
As South Africa takes on a pivotal role in global biosecurity, it becomes the second Southern Hemisphere nation, post-Australia, to provide real-time genomic tracking for winter disease pathogens Additionally, the project aims to strengthen laboratory infrastructure in under-resourced provinces while focusing on developing the careers of scientists from Historically Disadvantaged Universities.
