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Advancing sustainable public health capability and capacity in the region

Integrating genomic surveillance into broader health system frameworks and infrastructure is essential for strengthening national public health capacities. Contextualising and translating the WHO Global Genomic Surveillance Strategy into tailored national strategic plans that address local priorities, resource constraints, systems limitations and disease burdens is a critical step, not only in developing sustainable national capacity but also in securing long-term domestic financing for pathogen genomics.

What we do

We provide technical assistance in the development of multi-pathogen national genomic surveillance strategies, facilitate access to essential sequencing equipment through market shaping and supply chain activities, and foster cross-country knowledge exchange via dedicated learning platforms. These efforts collectively empower policymakers to make informed, strategic decisions on the implementation and scale-up of genomic technologies for public health surveillance and outbreak preparedness.

Primary focus areas:

National strategic plans

 

We conducted a landscape assessment of genomic sequencing capacity between 2022 and 2023 across 13 Asian countries, which informed the development of the Asia PGI Roadmap for Pathogen Genomics. This roadmap outlines the current status of pathogen surveillance in the region, showing that while all 13 countries have some capacity for pathogen genomic sequencing, most lack national strategic plans or guidelines to support its use. Based on these findings, we offer practical guidance for developing national strategic plans for pathogen genomics surveillance tailored to each country’s capacity, needs and context.

 

Resources:

The Asia PGI investment case for pathogen genomics

Sustaining and expanding genomic surveillance capacity requires broader investment in genomics that targets both novel and pandemic pathogens. Asia PGI has developed a context specific investment case framework (figure 1) that links public health and systems considerations in a stepwise approach. It includes pathogen prioritisation, assessment of genomic utility and estimating the cost of genomic sequencing, to develop a robust multi-pathogen plan that both responds to the wider system requirement and acknowledges the local context. Asia PGI works closely with the WHO International Pathogen Genomic Surveillance Network (IPSN) to co-develop tools for this approach.

Schematic of the investment case framework

Figure 1. Asia PGI Investment Case Framework. 

Resources:

Market shaping and supply chain resilience

Addressing supply chain constraints has emerged as a key priority for countries in Asia. At present, low-income countries have difficulty accessing and pay substantially more than high-income countries for genomic sequencing equipment and reagents. Asia PGI works with sequencing manufacturers, distributors, national laboratories and multilateral organisations to improve affordability and access, promote pricing transparency and streamline supply chain processes.

 

Resources:

Genomics use case: Tuberculosis genomics

Tuberculosis (TB) remains an urgent public health threat in Asia, particularly in the context of rising drug resistance. Asia PGI works with national TB programs - through the Asia PGI TB Genomics Expert Working Group - to integrate genomics technologies like targeted next generation sequencing (tNGS) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) into clinical and public health surveillance workflows. This includes support for training, cost modelling, procurement, and national planning. Implementation is informed by real-world use cases from early adopter countries, with regional coordination to facilitate shared learning and accelerated scale up.

 

Resources:

Get in touch

For national strategic plans and investment cases for pathogen genomics, contact Khoo Yoong Khean at khooyk@duke-nus.edu.sg. For market shaping, supply chain and tuberculosis genomics, contact Shurendar Selva Kumar at shuren.k@duke-nus.edu.sg.

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