Twenty-one scientists from nine different African countries (Benin, Cameroon, Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe) convened on 21-25 May at the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research (NMIMR) in Accra, Ghana, to launch a new wave ofdiagnostic testing aimed at improving food safety and controlling antimicrobial resistance in food, animals, people and the environment.    

The use of portable DNA sequencing allows rapid identification of microorganisms that cause disease. It is also a powerful tool to trace the source infections, a critical step in understanding and preventing disease transmission. Moreover, the technology is far less expensive and thus more readily accessible than methods previously used for the same purpose. Current limitations in diagnostic testing contribute to the 137 000 deaths caused by foodborne disease each year in Africa. 

 “Portable DNA sequencing is a potential game changer for detecting and characterizing pathogens - and improving food safety - across the continent,” said Jeffrey LeJeune, FAO Food Safety Officer.   

At the meeting, the ‘ambassadors of innovation’ were provided with a training session on the laboratory and bioinformatics methods, enabling them to use this technology.  Unique to this workshop, each participant was provided with a sequencing device and laptop computer necessary for them to apply what they learned in the training immediately upon their return home.  

FAO, in collaboration with NMIMR and the Technical Institute of Denmark, arranged this training with financial support from the Fleming Fund (United Kingdom), the Government of Australia, and a private sector partner, Mars Incorporated.   

Read more about FAO's work on AMR https://www.fao.org/antimicrobial-resistance/en/