The Africa CDC Institute of Pathogen Genomics (IPG)
The Africa CDC Institute of Pathogen Genomics (IPG) was launched in November 2019 to support the adoption and implementation of pathogen genomics and bioinformatics in national public health institutes (NPHIs) across Africa.
IPG is supporting a continental coordinated approach to maximize the benefits of pathogen genomics for more effective outbreak preparedness, prevention and response, and for the control and elimination of endemic diseases in Africa. IPG operates through five Africa CDC’s Regional Collaboration Centers (RCCs) and its Regional Integrated Surveillance and Laboratory Network (RISLNET). The aim is to coordinate a network of NPHIs, academic/research institutions, private and public laboratories, and centers of excellence to support prevention, rapid detection, and response to current and emerging public health threats.
Strategic priorities
IPG leverages existing infrastructure in Africa and links these assets with the Africa CDC coordinating platforms, i.e. its five RCCs, RISLNET, and Member States NPHIs. Technical assistance is delivered through the five strategic pillars of Africa CDC: surveillance & disease intelligence, emergency preparedness and response, laboratory systems and networks, information systems, and public health research.
Priority 1: Enable
Create enabling and sustainability mechanisms for the integration of genomic-based surveillance in public health systems
Priority 2: Strengthen and democratize
Strengthen sequencing and bioinformatics capacity and develop the workforce in genomics and bioinformatics to deliver at speed, scale, and quality
Priority 3: Network
Build a functional continent-wide pathogen genomics network of laboratories, bioinformatics, data systems, and human resource capacity
Priority 4: Share
Establish a continent-wide pathogen genomics sample referral and data strategy, governance, and architecture to promote trusted, quality-assured, and timely data sharing, analyses, and interpretations
Priority 5: Utilize
Support the design and implementation of high-impact public health priority genomic use-cases and facilitate the utility of genomics data for policy and public health decision making
Vision
Our vision is to integrate pathogen genomics into routine public health surveillance systems for rapid and timely response to infectious disease threats in Africa through access to pathogen genomics technology, expertise, and responsible data sharing.
Mission
Our mission is to strengthen the pathogen genomics and bioinformatics capacities of public health institutions and to create enabling mechanisms to support the timely generation and utilization of pathogen genomics data for public health decision-making.