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For a few weeks, weÂ’ve been hosting hands-on next-generation sequencing (NGS) and bioinformatics training at CERI Stellenbosch University , supported by The World Bank and coordinated through the CLIMADE consortium and the African STARS Fellowship.

This training aims to improve our collective ability to monitor, report, and respond to dengue outbreaks, a critical public health need for Africa and beyond.

Dr. Yeshnee Naidoo from CERI providing advanced training in NGS to Melissa Ahou Koffi, Issaka Maman and Eninam Kouma from Ivory Coast and Togo.

Dengue virus is a mosquito-borne infection with symptoms ranging from fever and body aches to potentially fatal complications. In 2023 alone, over 6.5 million cases and 7300 deaths were reported globally, with climate change, population movement, and fragile health systems exacerbating the spread in many endemic regions.

This training equips participants from Togo and Côte d’Ivoire with technical lab skills and bioinformatics workflows to build local capacity for outbreak response. As part of our collaboration, material transfer agreements have been set up, and samples from recent outbreaks will be sequenced during the training.

Participants include:

Melissa Ahou Koffi – Unité des Virus Respiratoires (UVR), Département des Virus Epidémiques (DVE), Côte d'Ivoire

Issaka Maman – Institut National d'Hygiène, Togo

Eninam Kouma – Institut National d'Hygiène, Togo

This initiative forms part of our broader efforts to strengthen disease surveillance across the continent. We've previously supported partners in Ethiopia, Mauritius, Malawi, Senegal, and many more.

'The Dengue epidemic in West Africa was particularly big in 2024 and 2025, when Togo and Ivory Coast Public Health Institutes requested support to prompt characterize the Dengue variants, we supported them by bringing the samples to our lab but more importantly bringing their top scientists to do the genomics surveillance themselves so the knowledge can be transferred to their countries' Commented, Prof Tulio de Oliveira, director of CERI at Stellenbosch University and head of CLIMADE consortium.

Interested in future training or collaboration? Keep an eye on CERI’s social media for upcoming calls or join our monthly CLIMADE consortium meetings—a platform where researchers and public health professionals can collaborate on climate-amplified diseases. For those currently experiencing outbreaks, we welcome interest in tailored support and training.

Dr. Melissa Ahou Koffi – Unité des Virus Respiratoires (UVR), Département des Virus Epidémiques (DVE), Côte d'Ivoire.

This news piece was published in the gem, April 2025

Click on the image above to read the gem, genomics, epidemics & microbes Vol 8 Issue 4, April 2025, or scan the qrcode.

News date: 2025-05-01

Links:

https://starsfellows.africa

15 minutes, All news...