Shreveport, La. – Researchers from three southern U.S. states have published a playbook, “Building a Collaborative and Equitable Viral Genomic Surveillance Program: A Playbook for Researchers, Clinicians, Administrators, and Allies,” pioneering a framework for establishing collaborative, community-centered infectious diseases surveillance programs. With support from The Rockefeller Foundation, collaborators from academic institutions in Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia have refined a method to expand viral genomic surveillance and ensure that historically marginalized groups are represented in community health data.
“Genomic surveillance helps track infectious diseases, clarify who is most at risk, and take action to limit the spread and protect people’s health. But historic disparities in healthcare access have meant that – for far too long – genomic surveillance has excluded medically underserved communities,” said Dr. Jamie Newman, Associate Professor, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, College of Applied and Natural Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. “Establishing an equity-focused, collaborative genomic surveillance program is possible, and this new Playbook breaks down the process we followed.”
The Playbook includes a suite of resources to support researchers and health officials committed to improving equity in genomic sequencing and global infectious disease surveillance. The results of the partnership are also detailed in an article recently published in PLOS Global Public Health, “A collaborative approach to improve representation in viral genomic surveillance.”
“Tools like viral sampling and sequencing are essential for tracking emerging threats to human health and mobilizing the resources to contain them — but such tools have historically excluded some of the most vulnerable people,” said Dr. Bruce Gellin, Chief of Global Public Health Strategy at The Rockefeller Foundation. “The Rockefeller Foundation remains committed to improving equity and community representation in pathogen surveillance, and we commend these leaders for creating a playbook that will help other researchers put these principles into practice.”
Genome sequencing has been vital for understanding SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and is essential for detecting and tracking new variants of the virus. Traditional methods rely on samples from clinics or hospitals, but many rural and medically underserved communities lack access to COVID-19 testing, leaving cases uncounted and communities unaware of the current health risks. In 2021, The Rockefeller Foundation awarded a grant to Louisiana State University (LSU) Health Shreveport, Grambling State University, and Louisiana Tech University to enhance, expand, and diversify regional SARS-CoV-2 surveillance efforts.
“Without resources to gather samples, equipment to process them, or networks to share sequences, it can be difficult to run an effective genomic sequencing program in medically underserved communities – and that ultimately leads to gaps in local health guidance and care,” said Dr. Paul Kim, Assistant Professor, Cell Biology at Grambling State University. “By partnering with sample donors and clinicians, we were able to improve the diversity of people represented in genomic sequencing data. Over time, we believe these methods will build trust in the sampling and testing process, strengthen public health guidance, and create opportunities for the next generation of health researchers and leaders to continue building these models for equity.”
Within the region, efforts have increased representation of underserved groups in viral genomic surveillance while also providing research opportunities for students at participating academic institutions. In 2022, partners in Louisiana expanded their network to include teams at Mercer University in Georgia and Jackson State University in Mississippi.
“This genomic surveillance project provided an opportunity for us as scientists to find a fairer, more inclusive way to detect diseases affecting a population – and not just the people with easy access to doctors,” said Dr. Ifedayo Victor Ogungbe, Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Jackson State University.
Through collaboration and leveraging their respective research backgrounds, more than 1,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from COVID-19 test samples – including samples from underserved communities, gathered with informed consent – have been sequenced to date and made publicly available.
“Publishing viral genomes gives the world an up-to-date read on how a virus is changing, and can help develop better tools to fight it and keep people healthy,” said Jeremy Kamil, PhD, Associate Professor of Microbiology & Immunology at LSU Health Shreveport. “That’s why genome sequencing should be available to every community, so that local health officials have the data necessary to make informed recommendations. We designed the playbook to help research teams across the country and the world build on our model and learn from our experiences.”
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