GCRF_NF118: Capacity building reliable diagnostic & epidemiological tools to confront the spectre of a COVID-19 epidemic in refugee communities...

以证据为导向的COVID-19控制政策制定依赖于通过关联诊断、分子指纹和患者元数据（内在（如年龄）和外在（如旅行史））准确了解SARS-CoV-2感染的流行病学。尽管乌干达有当地的专业知识，但将这些数据关联起来的努力正在停滞，因为指定用于诊断和跟踪COVID-19的实验室资源不足，而且对诊断工作流程普遍不信任。乌干达北方实验室设施缺乏：i）处理COVID-19诊断的可靠工作流程的试剂和经验; ii）提供可靠流行病学信息的全基因组测序设备和消耗品。我们将把英国的学者和工业合作伙伴与乌干达的生物学家和政策制定者聚集在一起，迅速建立当地SARS-CoV-2诊断和实时流行病学的能力，以满足这些需求。具体而言：将SARS-CoV-2诊断工作流程的知识从英国领先的检测中心（NHS，Lighthouse Labs）转移到乌干达。在索尔福德/利物浦/英国政府合作伙伴的支持下，在乌干达北方建立纳米孔测序和生物信息学，并促进乌干达实验室长期采用这些技术（UVRI，马凯雷雷大学）。联合收割机WGS与新的基于调查的患者元数据相结合，提供实时SARS-CoV-2基因组学，包括在难民定居点周围传播的菌株，支持乌干达卫生部和总理办公室迅速缓解当地和全国COVID-19传播。将行业和物流合作伙伴与乌干达政策制定者聚集在一起，确定和解决设备和消耗品供应链中的瓶颈，以支持具有成本效益的乌干达未来生物科学。

Evidence-led policymaking for COVID-19 control relies on accurate understanding the epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infections by correlating diagnostics, molecular fingerprinting and patient metadata (intrinsic (e.g. age), and extrinsic (e.g. travel history)). Efforts to correlate these data in Uganda are stalling, despite available local expertise, because laboratories designated for diagnosing and tracking COVID-19 are under-resourced, and widespread mistrust of diagnostic workflows. Current policy is therefore shaped by data from industrialised countries, which may be misleading due to significant differences in the population demographics and underlying health status.Laboratory facilities in northern Uganda are lacking: i) reagents and experience of reliable workflows for processing of COVID-19 diagnostics; ii) whole genome sequencing equipment and consumables for providing robust epidemiological information. We will address these needs by bringing together UK-based academics and industrial partners with Ugandan biologists and policymakers to rapidly build local capacity for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics and real-time epidemiology. Specifically: Transfer knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic workflows from leading UK testing centres (NHS, Lighthouse Labs) to Uganda. Establish Nanopore sequencing and bioinformatics in northern Uganda, supported by Salford/Liverpool/COG-UK partners, and facilitate their long-term adoption by Ugandan laboratories (UVRI, Makerere University).Combine WGS with new survey-based patient metadata to provide real-time SARS-CoV-2 genomics, including strains circulating around refugee settlements, to support the Ugandan Ministry of Health and Prime Minister's Office to promptly mitigate local and national COVID-19 spread.Bring together industry and logistics partners with Ugandan policymakers, to identify and address bottlenecks in the equipment and consumable supply chain, to support cost-effective, future Ugandan bioscience.