Genomic surveillance for pathogen detection and prevention of outbreaks, Angola, 2025

DeZi contributed to a workshop at the Instituto Nacional de Saúde, Ministry of Health, Angola, focused on genomic surveillance for pathogen detection and outbreak prevention, bringing together researchers, laboratory specialists and public health stakeholders from across Angola, Brazil, and the Institut National de la Recherche Biomédicale, Democratic Republic of Congo.

The workshop combined hands‑on training in portable metagenomic sequencing with discussions on how to integrate genomic data into national surveillance systems.

A dedicated stakeholder session brought together representatives from the Ministry of Health, public health institutes, universities and international partners to identify priority gaps, including limited diagnostic capacity, workforce shortages, and fragmented data systems. Participants highlighted the need for improved laboratory infrastructure, coordinated surveillance frameworks, and the development of national guidelines to support sustainable genomic surveillance.

This initiative represented an important step in supporting locally led genomic surveillance, aligned with DeZi’s broader mission to build sustainable capacity and enable timely, data‑driven responses to emerging infectious disease threats.