The ODIN consortium featured prominently at the recently concluded 12th EDCTP Forum held from 15 to 20 June 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda. As part of the GenEpi Network, ODIN participated in a high-level scientific symposium on Monday, 16 June, which brought together leading voices in pathogen genomics across Africa.

The symposium, hosted by GenEpi Network members Professor Alan Christoffels (NGS4PH), Dr Vito Baraka (ODIN), and Professor Tulio de Oliveira (GenPath Africa), spotlighted collaborative initiatives supported by EDCTP3 and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The GenEpi Network serves as a platform for shared learning, resources, and capacity building in pathogen genomics, with the goal of strengthening public health systems across the continent.

Representing ODIN, Dr Vito Baraka delivered a compelling presentation titled “Harnessing Environmental Surveillance for Public Health: Wastewater Genomics in the GenEpi Network.” His talk highlighted the Network’s innovative use of environmental and wastewater surveillance, underpinned by genomic diagnostics, to rapidly detect and respond to pathogen threats in African settings.

Other ODIN delegates in attendance included Professor Trudie Lang, Dr Paul Kingpriest, Dr Marc Tahita, and Dr Bérenger Kabore. Their presence reinforced ODIN’s commitment to regional partnerships, knowledge exchange, and capacity building.

The symposium offered an important platform to share insights, align efforts across genomics projects, and underscore the value of collaborative science in addressing emerging infectious disease threats in Africa. ODIN’s contribution underscored the consortium’s leadership in applying environmental genomics for proactive public health surveillance.

As ODIN continues to expand its footprint, engagements like this further its mission to support African institutions in adopting scalable, locally led surveillance innovations that protect communities and build resilient health systems.

Download Presentation: "Harnessing Environmental Surveillance for Public Health: Wastewater Genomics in the GenEpi Network" (PDF 1.4MB).

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