Publications by authors named "Lawrence A Mapunda"
The East African Community (EAC) is experiencing an unprecedented, emerging mpox outbreak since July 2024 in five of eight partner states. We highlight rapid regional response measures, initiated August 2024 coordinated by EAC: field deployment of six mobile laboratories in Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, South Sudan to high-risk areas, donation of one mobile laboratory to Democratic Republic of the Congo and genomic monkeypox virus (MPXV) surveillance support. These interventions aim to limit local mpox spread and support international containment.
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- The East African Community (EAC) faces significant challenges in addressing infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), highlighting an urgent need for improved pathogen genomics capabilities across its member states.
- A study showed stark differences in how EAC countries utilize bacterial pathogen sequencing; nearly all quality genome data (97%) was processed by external organizations, primarily outside of Africa, with Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda leading in local sequencing efforts.
- Key obstacles include a lack of local sequencing facilities, limited bioinformatics skills, insufficient computing resources, and weak data-sharing practices, all of which hinder the region's public health laboratories from effectively using pathogen genomics for AMR surveillance and outbreak response.