A research consortium led by Stellenbosch University in Stellenbosch, South Africa, was awarded 5 million euros ($5.3 million) from the EU Horizon Europe program for genomic research in combating epidemics in Africa.
The grant will be used for the Genomic Surveillance to Control Pathogen Infections in Africa (GenPath Africa) program. GenPath Africa’s mission is to support the use of genomics to address public health issues including HIV-1, tuberculosis, and antimicrobial resistance, as well as in epidemics affected by climate change, such as Rift Valley Fever, in South Africa, Kenya, and Mozambique.
In addition, GenPath Africa has plans for early warning testing of wastewater, as well as animal surveillance to detect emerging pathogens in the region.
Other partners in the program include the National Institute of Health of Mozambique, the International Livestock Research Institute in Kenya, the Global Health Institute at the University of Antwerp, and the Berlin-based project management firm Linq Management.
