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将诊断、分子指纹和患者元数据（内在数据（如年龄）和外在数据（如旅行史））关联起来，准确了解SARS-CoV-2感染的流行病学。在乌干达，尽管当地有专门知识，但将这些数据关联起来的努力却陷入停滞，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。因此，目前的政策是根据工业化国家的数据制定的，由于人口统计和基本健康状况的巨大差异，这些数据可能具有误导性。乌干达北部的实验室设施缺乏：i)试剂和处理COVID-19诊断的可靠工作流程的经验；Ii)用于提供可靠流行病学信息的全基因组测序设备和消耗品。我们将通过将英国的学者和工业合作伙伴与乌干达生物学家和政策制定者聚集在一起，迅速建立当地诊断SARS-CoV-2和实时流行病学的能力，来满足这些需求。具体而言：将英国领先检测中心（NHS、Lighthouse Labs）的SARS-CoV-2诊断工作流程知识转移到乌干达。在索尔福德/利物浦/COG-UK合作伙伴的支持下，在乌干达北部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它们（UVRI、Makerere大学）。将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，以支持乌干达卫生部和总理办公室迅速缓解当地和全国的COVID-19传播。将工业和物流合作伙伴与乌干达决策者聚集在一起，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未来乌干达生物科学。

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.