Technological Barriers to Routine Genomic Surveillance for Vaccine Development Against SARS-CoV-2 in Africa: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data, a public-access database for sharing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 genomic sequencing data, has received significantly less data from African countries compared to the global total. Furthermore, the contribution of these data was infrequent and, for some countries, non-existent. The primary aim of this review is to identify the technological barriers to routine genomic surveillance in Africa. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched for the relevant articles, and other eligible articles were identified from the reference list examination according to the PRISMA checklist. Eighty-four full-text articles were analysed for eligibility, and 49 published full-texted articles were included in the final qualitative analysis. The main technological barriers identified were limited genomic surveillance capacity, limited genomic sequencing infrastructure, lack of resources and skilled or trained scientists, and the high cost of importing, establishing, and maintaining a genomic sequencing facility. The Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative aims to improve genomic surveillance capacity across Africa, through resources, training, education, infrastructure, and regional sequencing centres. Furthermore, collaborations between African governments and international partners or national, private, and academic institutions are imperative to sustain genomic surveillance in Africa, and investment in genomic sequencing and research and development is paramount. Longer turnaround times interfere with global viral evolution monitoring and national implementation of effective policies to reduce the burden and disease. Establishing effective genomic surveillance systems guides public health responses and vaccine development for diseases endemic in Africa.