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Ramsay M, Crampin AC, Bawah AA, Gitau E, Herbst K. The Value Proposition of Coordinated Population Cohorts Across Africa. Annu Rev Biomed Data Sci 2024; 7:277-294. [PMID: 39178423 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-biodatasci-020722-015026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2024]
Abstract
Building longitudinal population cohorts in Africa for coordinated research and surveillance can influence the setting of national health priorities, lead to the introduction of appropriate interventions, and provide evidence for targeted treatment, leading to better health across the continent. However, compared to cohorts from the global north, longitudinal continental African population cohorts remain scarce, are relatively small in size, and lack data complexity. As infections and noncommunicable diseases disproportionately affect Africa's approximately 1.4 billion inhabitants, African cohorts present a unique opportunity for research and surveillance. High genetic diversity in African populations and multiomic research studies, together with detailed phenotyping and clinical profiling, will be a treasure trove for discovery. The outcomes, including novel drug targets, biological pathways for disease, and gene-environment interactions, will boost precision medicine approaches, not only in Africa but across the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa;
| | - Amelia C Crampin
- Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Ayaga A Bawah
- Regional Institute for Population Studies, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Evelyn Gitau
- African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Kobus Herbst
- Africa Health Research Institute, Durban, South Africa
- South African Population Research Infrastructure Network, Department of Science and Innovation and South African Medical Research Council, Durban, South Africa
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2
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An Assessment of Traditional and Genomic Screening in Newborns and their Applicability for Africa. INFORMATICS IN MEDICINE UNLOCKED 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.imu.2022.101050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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3
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Therrell BL, Lloyd-Puryear MA, Ohene-Frempong K, Ware RE, Padilla CD, Ambrose EE, Barkat A, Ghazal H, Kiyaga C, Mvalo T, Nnodu O, Ouldim K, Rahimy MC, Santos B, Tshilolo L, Yusuf C, Zarbalian G, Watson MS. Empowering newborn screening programs in African countries through establishment of an international collaborative effort. J Community Genet 2020; 11:253-268. [PMID: 32415570 PMCID: PMC7295888 DOI: 10.1007/s12687-020-00463-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In an effort to explore new knowledge and to develop meaningful collaborations for improving child health, the First Pan African Workshop on Newborn Screening was convened in June 2019 in Rabat, Morocco. Participants included an informal network of newborn screening stakeholders from across Africa and global experts in newborn screening and sickle cell disease. Over 150 attendees, representing 20 countries, were present including 11 African countries. The agenda focused on newborn screening rationale, techniques, system development, implementation barriers, ongoing research, and collaborations both globally and across Africa. We provide an overview of the workshop and a description of the newborn screening activities in the 11 African countries represented at the workshop, with a focus on sickle cell disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradford L Therrell
- National Newborn Screening and Global Resource Center, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Austin, TX, USA.
| | | | - Kwaku Ohene-Frempong
- Sickle Cell Foundation of Ghana, National Newborn Screening Program for Sickle Cell Disease, Accra, Ghana
| | - Russell E Ware
- Division of Hematology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Emmanuela E Ambrose
- Bugando Medical Centre and Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, Mwanza, Tanzania
| | - Amina Barkat
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Mohammed V, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Hassan Ghazal
- National Center for Scientific and Technological Research, Rabat, Morocco
| | - Charles Kiyaga
- Central Public Health Laboratories, Ministry of Health, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Tisungane Mvalo
- University of North Carolina Project Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi
| | - Obiageli Nnodu
- Centre of Excellence for Sickle Cell Disease Research and Training, University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria
| | - Karim Ouldim
- Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fes, Morocco
| | - Mohamed Chérif Rahimy
- National Sickle Cell Disease Center, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Abomey-Calavi, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Brígida Santos
- Centro de Apoio ao Doente Anémico, Hospital Pediátrico David Bernardino, Luanda, Angola
| | - Léon Tshilolo
- Centre Hospitalier Monkole, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Careema Yusuf
- Association of Public Health Laboratories, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Guisou Zarbalian
- Association of Public Health Laboratories, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Michael S Watson
- American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics, Bethesda, MD, USA
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El-Kamah GY, Mohamed AM, Gad YZ, Abdelhak S, Hennig BJ, Ramesar RS, Landouré G, Gaye A, Newport MJ, Williams SM, Ramsay M. Developing a Road Map to Spread Genomic Knowledge in Africa: 10th Conference of the African Society of Human Genetics, Cairo, Egypt. Am J Trop Med Hyg 2020; 102:719-723. [PMID: 32124726 DOI: 10.4269/ajtmh.19-0408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The tenth conference of the African Society of Human Genetics was held in Egypt with the theme "Human Genetics and Genomics in Africa: Challenges for Both Rare and Common Genetic Disorders." Current research was presented, and we discussed visions for the future of genomic research on the African continent. In this report, we summarize the presented scientific research within and relevant to Africa as presented by both African and non-African scientists. We also discuss the current situation concerning genomic medicine and genomic research within the continent, difficulties in implementing genetic services and genomic medicine in Africa, and a road map to overcome those difficulties and meet the needs of the African researchers and patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ghada Y El-Kamah
- Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, Centre of Scientific Excellence of Human Genetics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amal M Mohamed
- Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, Centre of Scientific Excellence of Human Genetics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Yehia Z Gad
- Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, Centre of Scientific Excellence of Human Genetics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Sonia Abdelhak
- Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, University of Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia
| | | | - Raj S Ramesar
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Science, University of Cape Town and Affiliated Hospitals, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Guida Landouré
- Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Point G, Bamako, Mali.,Human Genetics and Genome Research Division, Centre of Scientific Excellence of Human Genetics, National Research Centre, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Amadou Gaye
- National Institutes of Health, National Human Genome Research, Bethesda, Maryland.,Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Point G, Bamako, Mali
| | - Melanie J Newport
- Brighton and Sussex Centre for Global Health Research, Brighton and Sussex Medical School, University of Sussex, Falmer, United Kingdom
| | - Scott M Williams
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Institute of Computational Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Owolabi MO, Akpa OM, Made F, Adebamowo SN, Ojo A, Adu D, Motala AA, Mayosi BM, Ovbiagele B, Adebamowo C, Tayo B, Rotimi C, Akinyemi R, Gebregziabher M, Sarfo F, Wahab KW, Parekh RS, Engel ME, Chisala C, Peprah E, Mensah G, Wiley K, Troyer J, Ramsay M. Data Resource Profile: Cardiovascular H3Africa Innovation Resource (CHAIR). Int J Epidemiol 2020; 48:366-367g. [PMID: 30535409 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyy261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Onoja M Akpa
- Center for Genomic and Precision Medicine.,Department of Epidemiology and Medical Statistics, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Felix Made
- Epidemiology and Surveillance Section, National Health Laboratory Services, Braamfontein, Gauteng Region, South Africa.,Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Division of Human Genetics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sally N Adebamowo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Akinlolu Ojo
- Clinical Research and Global Health Initiatives, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Dwomoa Adu
- School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Ayesha A Motala
- Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Bongani M Mayosi
- Department of Medicine, Groote Schuur Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Bruce Ovbiagele
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Clement Adebamowo
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, and Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.,Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, and Institute of Human Virology, Abuja, Nigeria.,Center for Bioethics and Research, Department of Medicine, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Bamidele Tayo
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | - Charles Rotimi
- Center for Research on Genomics and Global Health, NHGRI, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Mulugeta Gebregziabher
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Fred Sarfo
- Department of Medicine, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
| | | | - Rulan S Parekh
- Department of Pediatrics, Medicine and Epidemiology, Hospital for Sick Children, Research Institute, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mark E Engel
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chisala Chisala
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Emmanuel Peprah
- Global Health Program, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, New York University, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Jennifer Troyer
- Division of Genome Sciences, National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michèle Ramsay
- Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience and Division of Human Genetics, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Ezekekwu CA, Kotila TR, Akingbola TS, Lettre G, Gordeuk VR, Cooper RS, DeBaun MR, Inusa B, Tayo BO. Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trials and Phenotypes. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 6:259. [PMID: 30410998 PMCID: PMC6219473 DOI: 10.4172/2329-891x.1000259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Sickle cell disease, one of the world’s most common genetic disorders is prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa. The trans-Atlantic slave trade accounted for the gene movement from Africa to the Caribbean and United States of America and lately, migration has resulted in the introduction of the gene to the United Kingdom and other parts of Europe. Different haplotypes exist, however the differences in these haplotypes are not sufficient to explain the different clinical variations within the same region or different settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinedu A Ezekekwu
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Taiwo R Kotila
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Titilola S Akingbola
- Department of Hematology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | | | - Victor R Gordeuk
- Division of Hematology & Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard S Cooper
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
| | | | - Baba Inusa
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt Meharry, Center of Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease, Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, Nashville, USA
| | - Bamidele O Tayo
- Department of Public Health Sciences, Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, IL, USA
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7
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Adams RJ, Akinyemi RO, Owolabi MO, Lackland DL, Ovbiagele B. New approaches to genetic predisposition for hemorrhagic stroke in sickle cell disease. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich) 2018; 20:1078-1079. [PMID: 29806147 DOI: 10.1111/jch.13306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robert J Adams
- Department of Neurology, Medical University South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Rufus O Akinyemi
- Institute for Advanced Medical Research and Training, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Mayowa O Owolabi
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - Dan L Lackland
- Department of Neurology, Medical University South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Bruce Ovbiagele
- Department of Neurology, Medical University South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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8
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Strengthening human genetics research in Africa: report of the 9th meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics in Dakar in May 2016. GLOBAL HEALTH EPIDEMIOLOGY AND GENOMICS 2017; 2:e10. [PMID: 29868221 PMCID: PMC5870411 DOI: 10.1017/gheg.2017.3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2017] [Revised: 03/12/2017] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The 9th meeting of the African Society of Human Genetics, in partnership with the Senegalese Cancer Research and Study Group and the Human Heredity and Health in Africa (H3Africa) Consortium, was held in Dakar, Senegal. The theme was Strengthening Human Genetics Research in Africa. The 210 delegates came from 21 African countries and from France, Switzerland, UK, UAE, Canada and the USA. The goal was to highlight genetic and genomic science across the African continent with the ultimate goal of improving the health of Africans and those across the globe, and to promote the careers of young African scientists in the field. A session on the sustainability of genomic research in Africa brought to light innovative and practical approaches to supporting research in resource-limited settings and the importance of promoting genetics in academic, research funding, governmental and private sectors. This meeting led to the formation of the Senegalese Society for Human Genetics.
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9
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Building a Platform to Enable NCD Research to Address Population Health in Africa: CVD Working Group Discussion at the Sixth H3Africa Consortium Meeting in Zambia. Glob Heart 2017; 11:165-70. [PMID: 27102038 DOI: 10.1016/j.gheart.2015.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
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