Lilongwe, Malawi – August 14, 2024 – Director for NPHL Mr. Joseph Bitilinyu Bangoh, alongside the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL) and the National Genomic Sequencing Laboratory management teams.
The Fleming Fund Country Grant recently convened a strategic meeting with the Deputy Director of PHIM Laboratories Mr. Joseph Bitilinyu Bangoh, alongside the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory (NMRL) and the National Genomic Sequencing Laboratorymanagement teams. The primary focus of the meeting was to reinforce the collaboration between PHIM Laboratories and the Fleming Fund Country Grant while clarifying the critical roles these laboratories play in the successful implementation of the project.
Recognising the pivotal role that Public Health Reference Laboratories play in generating high-quality data for national surveillance, the Fleming Fund is committed to enhancing the capacity of both the National Microbiology Reference Laboratory and the National Genomic Sequencing Laboratory. Strengthening these laboratories is essential to producing reliable data that informs evidence-based policy decisions.
The Africa Centre of Disease and Control (Africa CDC) Pathogen Genomics Initiative ( PGI) is implementing the Cholera Genomics (CholGEN) project. CholGen project is a single consortium with a steering committee composed of John Hopkins University (JHU), Africa CDC, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).
This collaboration between JHU and the Africa CDC aims to leverage existing laboratories and epidemiologists in seven African countries (Nigeria, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mozambique, Cameroon, Malawi, Zambia and Uganda) to utilize Cholera genomic data for public health decision-making and improve the understanding of the molecular epidemiology of cholera in Africa.
CholGen project mainly has three objectives; to understand the molecular epidemiology of cholera in Malawi to inform decision-making, determine key drivers of cholera and other waterborne diseases transmission in Malawi and strengthen cross-border cholera surveillance including data sharing.
NPHL, Lilongwe-Malawi – August 8 and 9th, 2024 – The Africa CDC and the Africa Public Health Foundation conducted a technical support visit to PHIM to identify the progress made and challenges faced by the CholGEN project.
The team meet the Director and two Deputy Directors of PHIM responsible for Laboratory and Research. The Deputy Director, on his remarks, appreciated the support Africa CDC is rendering to Malawi in terms of trainings, equipment and supplies through the CholGen project. He promised that NPHRL will ensure that genomics in Malawi is growing to the requirement of giving answers needed to the health problems. He lamented “the lack of space for a genomics laboratory as the major problem affecting the growth of genomics”, he emphasized that “It is his dream to see PHIM have a state-of-the-art genomics laboratory that meets international standards and, can accommodate high throughput equipment.”
Dr. Mirriam Nyenje: in blue, – perhaps appreciating genomics lab apparatus.
Dr. Mirriam Nyenje the head of the National Genomics Sequencing Laboratory (NGSRL) in Malawi also added to the lamentation for the need for space that resulted in other machines allocated to other departments outside the NGSRL. She further thanked the Africa CDC for the support and gave a promise that she would work hard to see the NGSRL become a centre of excellence despite the lack of space. She cited Tuberculosis genomics as a low-hanging fruit to be the centre of excellence then Malaria and other pathogens.
Mr. Francis Chikuse, leader of the delegation added that the PGI is also looking into Malaria genomics though it is not easy and cheap, but it is very good for surveillance. He pointed to talking with PHIM to discuss the possibility of having genomics for Malaria which is crucial for the African region.
He said “The spectrum of human pathogens and the infectious diseases they cause is continuously changing through evolution, selection and changes in the way human populations interact with their environment and each other, therefore there is a need to understand molecular epidemiology surveillance of cholera strains circulating in the country. These will include sequencing of vibrio strains to study the virulence genes, the factors that support its survival in the environment in hot spots and phylogenetic inferences.”
Cholera and other diseases know no borders as such pathogens can be transmitted across geographical borders through movements of humans, animals and goods during an outbreak. Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania have some level of cross-border agreements. This project aims to operationalize/ strengthen these agreements.
There is a need to strengthen border surveillance systems with its neighbours and develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on data and sample sharing. There is also a need to build the capacity of Port of Entry staff on specialized training on surveillance of public health pathogens knowledge sharing and regional coordination.
The Research Division of the Public Health Institute of Malawi is in the process of assessing the capacity of its Health Facility Research Coordinating Committees country wide. The team above visited Nsanje District Hospital to appreciate the efforts the committee is making and the challenges they are encountering. This initiative involves the implementation of a comprehensive supervision checklist designed to standardize and streamline the oversight processes of these committees.
Dr. Chitsa Banda, Deputy Director for Research Department – PHIM led the supervision checklist exercise. She said “We are confident that this tool will not only improve the quality of oversight but also enhance the overall impact of health research in districts in Malawi”.
The supervision checklist is a tool developed to ensure that health facility research coordination committees adhere to best practices and maintain high standards in their operations. It covers various aspects of committee functions, including meeting procedures, documentation, compliance with ethical standards, and the implementation of research protocols.
By providing a clear framework for supervision, the checklist aims to: enhance compliance, improve documentation, strengthen coordination, and boost efficiency during operations to reduce delays and improve the overall efficiency of research oversight.
The Research Department remains committed to supporting health facility research coordination committees and to fostering a culture of excellence in health research across the country. This initiative underscores the department’s dedication to advancing health research and ultimately improving health outcomes for the people of Malawi.