7 May 2026 – Online
A UN STI Forum Side Event
Organisers:
The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
Partners:
Genomic surveillance is a cornerstone of global health security, yet access to sequencing infrastructure and bioinformatics remains uneven worldwide. This side event will show how regional STI partnerships support sustainable genomic infrastructure and scientific expertise in Africa, highlighting two initiatives: Biotechnet and Expandia. The session will explore how locally anchored sequencing platforms and training programmes strengthen regional capacity to detect and respond to emerging pathogens using a One Health approach across human, animal, and environmental health. Speakers will share lessons on next-generation sequencing, diagnostic technology transfer, laboratory networking, bioinformatics skills, and regional biobanks and data-sharing infrastructures. The event will also showcase innovations, including portable sequencing technologies, enabling countries to generate and analyze their own genomic data. Participants will discuss scaling such initiatives across Africa and beyond, and how international partnerships can promote equitable access to advanced tools, long-term capacity building, and regional innovation ecosystems. Finally, participants will be invited to join the initiative through the Regional Platform, mentorship programmes, or the East African Network for Biotechnology.
This session is organised as a side-event of the UN 11th Multi-stakeholder Forum on Science, Technology and Innovation for the Sustainable Development Goals.
Topics
Pandemic prepareness, Genomics infrastucture, One Health, East African network.
Registration
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/c-eP6kaYSBayEo8GcLoyBg#/registration
With the participation of
- The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB)
- The Bio and Emerging Technology Institute, Ethiopia (BETin)
- Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC)
- University of Maiduguri, Nigeria
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