BRIDGe

Building resilience to infectious diseases globally through genomics implementation beyond that developed in the COVID-19 pandemic response

BRIDGe: Building Resilience to  Infectious Diseases Through Genomics

Centre for Pathogen Genomics, Doherty Institute program supported by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Centre for Health Security
Program period: July 2024 – December 2027

The Doherty Institute has an established Strategic Partnership Program with the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Centre for Health Security to support infectious diseases surveillance and response across the Asia-Pacific region. The Strategic Partnership will contribute to workforce development, policy, systems strengthening and partnerships, targeting; laboratory strengthening, genomic surveillance, antimicrobial resistance, and data for decision making.

The Doherty Institute’s Strategic Partnership with DFAT has a key program to support pathogen genomics for public health, BRIDGe: Building resilience to infectious diseases globally through genomics, that will be implemented by the Centre for Pathogen Genomics at the Doherty Institute.

Across the Asia-Pacific region, in-country genomic sequencing capacity or access to genomics is variable, ranging from countries that are genomics-enabled to countries that are reliant on referral of samples to laboratories with genomic capabilities. In all cases, effective genomic surveillance systems underpinned by policy and planning, a skilled workforce, ability to utilise the data effectively, access to IT infrastructure and data solutions to support analysis, and networking to enhance coordination and sharing of genomic knowledge.

BRIDGe will improve genomic surveillance for infectious diseases across Malaysia, Fiji, Timor-Leste and the Philippines, building on partnerships between the Doherty Institute and Ministries of Health and Public Health Laboratories to support genomics implementation beyond that developed through the COVID-19 pandemic response.

The BRIDGe program, through the Centre for Pathogen Genomics, has the capabilities to work with in-country partners to cover the objectives outlined below, and may include the activities described within each theme. Prioritisation of specific activities for each country will be defined in collaboration with country partners.

  1. Access to and implementation of pathogen genomics for public health
  2. Utilisation and integration of genomic data into infectious diseases surveillance
  3. Build end-to-end workforce capability to generate, analyse and use genomic data
  4. Enhance networking and connectivity of pathogen genomics programs and ativities across the Asia-Pacific region

Find out more:  https://www.doherty.edu.au/news-events/news/doherty-institute-strategic-partnership-dfat-infectious-diseases