A comprehensive and inclusive understanding of African genomic diversity has the potential to enhance scientific and medical progress for patients in Africa and beyond, transforming how we detect, treat and, ultimately, cure disease. However, tremendous gaps in genomic data prevent scientists from fully unlocking this potential. Recognising this challenge, the African Genomics Program (AGP) was launched to address this inequitable representation of African genomes, improve healthcare across the continent, and accelerate scientific research for the benefit of every patient.
Genomic research provides insights into how genetic variation affects human health and disease, and how human bodies may react to new medications and treatments. Beyond the domain of geneticists alone, genomic research can enable scientists and clinicians to:
Improve the efficacy and safety of new treatments.
Design more effective clinical trials.
Understand how medications can have varying impacts on people from different backgrounds.
Develop improved preventive strategies by understanding who might be predisposed to certain conditions.
Identify more effective targets for drug development; studies show that drug targets are twice as successful in clinical development when supported by human genetics.1
Africa’s abundant genomic diversity—specifically the rich variation in genetic sequence represented within individuals from the continent—holds immense potential to advance scientific and medical progress that would benefit those living on the continent of Africa as well as patients around the world. Despite 99% of human evolutionary history having occurred in Africa and the majority of genetic diversity present in people of recent African descent, less than 3% of global genomic datasets come from individuals of recent African origin.2,3 This dramatic data imbalance leaves much information undiscovered and hinders scientific and medical advancements. Furthermore, only 1.3% of global investment in R&D is spent in Africa,4 and only 2.5% of clinical research trials are conducted on the continent.5
Fortunately, growing momentum across the continent—powered by African scientists and organisations as well as recent advances in technology—means that the world is closer to solving these data gaps and correcting global health inequities. Here at Roche, we’re proud to be taking part in this momentous push forward through the African Genomics Program.
The African Genomics Program is Roche’s bold commitment to accelerating African genomic research in partnership with scientists and organisations across the continent. Roche is dedicated to learning from and working with African stakeholders to overcome barriers and unlock solutions that will close these global healthcare and R&D gaps. The long-term vision of the program includes the development of an open, equitable federation of large-scale clinical, genomic and outcome biobanks hosted in Africa that are African-led. The African Genomics Program is catalysing progress toward this ambitious goal by bringing together a diverse set of partners dedicated to changing how African genomic data is collected and shared. Roche is proud to be a collaborator in these efforts, thereby enabling scientific discovery and improving health for all patients.
Through the African Genomics Program, we commit to:
Expanding data access in Africa by supporting African institutions to host genomic data, and ensuring it is open and accessible to African and other researchers and institutions.
Accelerating research by working with partners in the sequencing of >50,000 genomes from diverse African samples, leading and participating in genomics consortiums, and ensuring availability to researchers in Africa.
Building capacity by growing talent, research infrastructure and scientific networks on the continent.
Partnering to expand impact by bringing together African researchers, healthcare providers, non-profit organisations and NGOs, governments, industry, academia, multilateral bodies, and others to work more efficiently and effectively.
Building clinical data sets and providing population level data sets to inform health policy, facilitate science, and research.
Further investing in R&D to deliver on the promise of better, accessible and personalised health care for all patients based on deeper understanding of the African genome.
We know a challenge of this magnitude cannot and should not be solved in siloes. African institutions lead the charge of the program, bolstered by support from a broad network of partners in Africa and beyond, including both the public and private sector, non-profit organisations, and academia. Strength through this diversity of partners will provide the expertise necessary to make sustainable and lasting impacts for the betterment of all patients.
The study plans to collect biomarker data around metabolic syndrome, hypertension, diabetes and their risk factors as well as lung, renal, cognitive and physical function in a dual disease burden context of high rates of infectious diseases. Personal exposures to environmental chemicals will also be measured using silicon wristbands as a unique feature in the study.
The African network of Genomic Centers of Excellence (GenCoE) will empower Africa with its first unified, equitable, coordinated, and collaborative network of genomic research centres that will generate knowledge and clinical applications across the continent. GenCoE is one mechanism by which African health leaders and researchers can vastly expand the African capacity in genomics technologies with the aim of reducing global health inequities, training the next generation of the African workforce, and empowering genomic discovery for drugs and therapeutics. Roche is working with GenCoE to drive industry participation in GenCoE.
With concerted, collaborative efforts generously backed by stakeholders across industry, academia and government, Africa can take its rightful place as a leader in genomic science, helping to inform and develop transformative breakthroughs in healthcare that address the needs of Africa and the rest of the global community. The future is bright, and we at Roche are excited to be part of this inspiring journey to enable African scientists to advance genomic science in the name of African patients and patients worldwide.
References
Nelson, M, et al. The support of human genetic evidence for approved drug indications. Nat Genet 47, 856–860 (2015).
Omotoso O, et al. Global Health. 2022;18(1):103.
Peprah E, et al. Public Health Genomics. 2015;18(1):40-51.
UNESCO science report: towards 2030
Patra, Swapan Kumar. The Conversation, “Africa hosts very few clinical trials. Why this is bad for innovation” (2018)
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