Thursday September 26, 2024 9:00am - 12:30pm EDT
With its immense potential, genomics can significantly improve health outcomes in Africa. This aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and contributes to the UN Summit of the Future objectives. The power of genomic research lies in its ability to identify genetic variations associated with increased susceptibility to diseases prevalent in Africa, such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease, and other non-communicable diseases. Genomic data can enable precision medicine. By analysing an individual's genetic profile, healthcare professionals can predict their response to specific medications, reducing adverse drug reactions and optimising treatment efficacy. This approach, which addresses SDG3: Good Health and Well-being, is especially beneficial in Africa, where genetic diversity is high, with an impact on individual healthcare. Genomics research can contribute to capacity-building efforts in Africa by fostering collaborations between local scientists, international institutions, and researchers. This can help build local expertise, and scientific infrastructure, which can lead to a better understanding of Africa's unique genetic diversity and the development of locally relevant solutions to health challenges. This addresses SDG9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
The UN Summit of the Future underscores the importance of science and technology in addressing global challenges. Genomics, at the forefront of this effort, offers tools to track and monitor infectious diseases in real time. This information is crucial and urgent for developing targeted interventions and controlling the spread of infectious diseases, demonstrating the vital role of genomics in global health security. The Genomics Centres of Excellence network aims to facilitate the implementation of genomics to address several key SDGs, enabling African scientists to develop solutions to African challenges. These centres will conduct cutting-edge research, training, and translation, ensuring that Africa can leverage genomic science to improve public health. By investing in genomics, African nations can drive progress towards achieving the SDGs, which will improve health outcomes and position Africa as a leader in the global scientific community. This session will explore the challenges and opportunities for implementing genomics in healthcare in Africa.
Agenda:
Implementing Genomics and Health Security in Africa
9:00 Introduction & Welcome: Declan Kirrane, Ms. Eudy Mabuza (Senior Science and Innovation Representative, Brussels, Department of Science and Innovation, Republic of South Africa)
Chair: Dr Magdalena Skipper
9:15 Keynote: Hon Dr Michel Sidibé, Genomics and Health Security in Africa
9:35 Prof Julie Makani, Genomics in Africa: Translation of Research to Health: Progress in SCD
09:55 Panel Discussion: Challenges in Integrating Genomics into Health Systems.
Moderator: Dr Magdalena Skipper
Panelists: Prof Julie Makani (UCL), Prof Heidi Rehm (Massachusetts General Hospital, Broad Institute), Prof Khalid Fakhro (Sidra Medicine, Hamad Bin Khalifa University)
10:25-10:45 Coffee break
Addressing Inequities in Genomics for Health in Africa
Chair/Moderator: Dr Rita Lawlor
10:45 Prof Ntobeko Ntusi Disparities in Genomic Research and Healthcare Access
11:00 Panel Discussion: Strategies for Promoting Equity in Genomics
Moderator: Dr Rita Lawlor
Panelists: Prof Ntobeko Ntusi SAMRC), Laura Povlich (Fogarty International, NIH) (online), Lyndon Mitnaul (Regeneron)
Extraordinary Opportunities in Genomics Research
11:30-11:45 Prof Nicky Mulder The Future of Genomics in Africa
FfD4: Exploring sustainable funding for development to enable genomics for health
Chair/Moderator: Prof Emmanuel Peprah
11:45- 12:00 Tom Kariuki, A Funder Perspective on Genomics in Africa
12:00- 12:25 Panel: Mapping Investment to Impact, funding for development
Moderator: Prof Emmanuel Peprah
Panelists: Lisa Slater (Roche), Rizwana Mia (SAMRC), Tom Kariuki (Science for Africa Foundation)
12:25-12:30 Closing: Recommendations for the UN and the Future Summit
Speakers 
Associate Professor of Global Health, Director, Implementing Sustainable Evidence-based interventions through Engagement (ISEE Lab) Department of Global and Environmental Health, NYU School of Global Public Health
Dr. Peprah is an Associate Professor at NYU School of Global Public Health where he leads the Implementing Sustainable Evidence-based interventions through Engagement (ISEE) Lab. His research focuses on understanding the contextual factors affecting the adoption of evidence-based...
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Michel Hamala Sidibé: Champion of Health Equity and African-Led SolutionsMichel Hamala Sidibé is a relentless advocate for health equity and African-led solutions. As the African Union’s Special Envoy for the African Medicines Agency (AMA), Sidibé drove the rapid ratification...
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Nature Research (Publishing)
As Editor in Chief, Magdalena leads Nature’s magazine and research editorial teams. A geneticist by training, she has considerable editorial and publishing experience: having started in Nature Publishing Group in 2001, she was Chief Editor of Nature Reviews Genetics, Senior Editor...
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CEO, Science for Africa Foundation
Dr Thomas Kariuki is Founding Director and Chief Executive Officer forthe Science for Africa Foundation, established in 2021 to support, strengthen and promote science and innovation in Africa. A long-time advocate involved in the global effort to develop vaccines, drugs and diagnostics...
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Executive Director, Research Initiatives, Regeneron Genetics Center
Dr. Lyndon J. Mitnaul is an Executive Director in the Regeneron Genetics Center at RegeneronPharmaceuticals, Inc., in Tarrytown, NY, where he works with cross-functional teams to establish humangenetics research collaborations and initiatives.Lyndon received a B.S. degree in chemistry...
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Director, Chief Genomics Officer, Massachusetts General Hospital, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
Heidi Rehm is Director of the Genomic Medicine Unit in the Center for Genomic Medicine and Chief Genomics Officer at Massachusetts General Hospital, working to integrate genomics into medical practice. She is a board-certified laboratory geneticist and Chief Medical Officer and Clinical...
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Program Director, Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health
Laura Povlich is a Program Director in the Division of International Training and Research at the Fogarty International Center, part of the National Institutes of Health, where she was previously an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy...
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Chief Research Officer at Sidra Medicine, Professor of Genomics and Precision Medicine at the College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Sidra Medicine
Prof Khalid Fakhro is the Chief of Research and Chair of the Precision Medicine Program at Sidra Medicine, the largest tertiary care women and children hospital in Qatar. In addition to his administrative responsibility overseeing translational research, Dr Fakhro leads the Laboratory...
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Head of African Genomics Program
A passionate advocate for access to healthcare and equitable science, Lisa Rooney Slater joined Roche in 2012. She has worked across the company holding positions at Genentech in South San Francisco, California and the global headquarters in Basel, Switzerland before relocating with...
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Principal Investigator, Imperial College London
Professor Julie Makani is a physician scientist in Tanzania, Principal Investigator in the Sickle Cell Programme at Muhimbili University www.muhas.ac.tz and Sickle Pan African Research Consortium (SPARCO) Clinical Coordinating Centre (CCC), SickleInAfrica http://www.sickleinafrica.org...
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Senior Brussels Representative, Dept of Science and Innovation, South Africa
Ms Mabuza has eighteen and half years of progressive experience in the Public Sector, engaging and negotiating with international agencies to increase bilateral science, technology and innovation (STI) investments towards the South African science system and marketing the country...
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President and CEO SAMRC, South African Medical Research Council
Professor Ntobeko Ntusi is the President and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) effective 1 July 2024. He joins the SAMRC from the University of Cape Town and Groote Schuur Hospital where he was the Chair and Head of the Department of Medicine. He is a distinguished...
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Professor, Head of Computational Biology, University of Cape Town, H3ABioNet
Prof Mulder heads the Computational Biology Division at the University of Cape Town (UCT) and is co-leading the development of the African network of Genomic Centres of Excellence. She leads H3ABioNet, a Pan African Bioinformatics Network which develops bioinformatics capacity for...
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Vice Director, ARC-Net, University of Verona, Italy
Rita Lawlor is a Computer Science graduate of Trinity College Dublin with a doctorate in Oncological Pathology from the University of Verona where she is co-founder of the ARC-Net (www.arc-net.it) applied cancer research centre where is director of the ARC-Net biobank and coordinates...
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