Scaling Up Pathogen Genomic Sequencing for Epidemic Response in Ethiopia (SUPER)

Atsbeha Gebreegziabxier Weldemariam of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute (EPHI) together with colleagues at the Armauer Hansen Research Institute, both in Ethiopia, will boost the country’s sequencing capacity to establish routine SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance and monitor the emergence and impact of new variants to better inform public policy. Over 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples will be collected across 14 hospitals and laboratories over a period of ten months and subjected to next generation sequencing and bioinformatics analyses to identify any new variants. They will then test the efficacy of existing diagnostic assays for detecting these different variants. New genomic data will be promptly uploaded to public repositories, and a web-based platform will be developed to rapidly communicate research findings to relevant stakeholders, including the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, so that results can be readily translated into public health policy.