The first International West Africa Symposium & Workshops on Infectious Disease, hosted by the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health, University of Sierra Leone and the Quantitative Biosciences Institute of the University of California, San Francisco, was held from July 29 to August 4, 2024, in Sierra Leone. The Center for Pandemic Preparedness and Response (CPPR) co-sponsored the symposium and provided scholarships for two researchers to attend.
The event included a two-day symposium, five days of interactive workshops and a site visit to a regional medical clinic located in Kono, a rural district in Sierra Leone. The goals of the symposium included fostering collaboration among a diverse group of research scientists who study various infectious diseases and key pathogens affecting the region, linking young research scientists with more experienced counterparts to promote mentorship and capacity building, and creating space for networking among the African research community.
Compared to their East and Southern African counterparts, West African nations face similar challenges with infectious diseases like HIV, malaria and Ebola, but they have relatively smaller research portfolios. The number of research scientists available on the continent is inadequate given the significant burden of infectious diseases. Additionally, there is insufficient collaboration among scientists within Africa; in fact, many tend to have stronger scientific collaborations with their Western counterparts. The week-long event provided many opportunities for African scientists from across the continent to meet each other. The interactions from the symposium will help to advance research on pathogens and epidemics affecting countries across West Africa.
Speakers Focused on Crucial Topics in Global Health
The symposium’s agenda was carefully constructed to include global health, molecular biology and clinical talks in a curated flow to engage the audience. The first day of the symposium featured a robust agenda focusing on infectious diseases, beginning with opening remarks from Charles Senessie, MBchB, MSc, PhD, deputy minister of health at the Ministry of Health in Sierra Leone.
Day one keynote speeches addressed crucial topics and included presentations by Nevan Krogan, PhD, professor of bioengineering at the UCSF School of Pharmacy who discussed breaking down barriers for scientific collaboration and Onikepe Folarin, PhD, MSc, professor of molecular biology and genomics at Redeemer’s University who discussed insights into genomics surveillance for pathogen discovery in Africa. Other notable presentations included lectures by Mohamed Samai, PhD, MSc, MBBS, deputy vice-chancellor at the College of Medicine and Allied Health Sciences (COMAHS) in Sierra Leone who provided an update on malaria studies aimed at improving early childhood survival, and Joia Mukherjee, MD, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital who discussed exploration of universal health coverage in the context of infectious diseases.
On day two, discussions revolved around innovative diagnostics and strategic collaborations to combat infectious diseases. Regis Grailhe, PhD, head of Technology Development Platform at the Institut Pasteur Korea, emphasized the importance of accessible research tools, while Stephen Kennedy, MD, MPH, senior researcher at the UL-PIRE Africa Center based at the University of Liberia, proposed a sub-regional approach for mitigating disease impacts. Priya Shah, PhD, assistant professor at the UC Davis Department of Chemical Engineering, spoke about integration of virology and engineering to advance flavivirus research and Jacqueline Fabius, chief operating officer of UCSF’s Quantitative Biosciences Institute, provided insights on empowering scientific collaboration through strategic communication avenues.
The symposium concluded with panel discussions addressing the intersection of maternal and child health with infectious disease challenges, featuring experts from various health sectors. A women-led panel focused on career paths for women in the sciences as well as how to face challenges in the field.
Hands-On Workshops Helped Build Skills
After the two-day symposium a series of intensive four-day, hands-on training workshops were held on topics including clinical research and study design, scientific grant writing, presentation skills, molecular biology and microbial sequencing bioinformatics.
Initiatives such as this symposium promote cross-cultural understanding and align global health priorities with local realities, leading to more effective public health interventions and strategies. The symposium underscored the need to bring together African scientists to share research findings on diseases of importance to African communities, many of which have cross-border significance, while also connecting with scholars in the Western Hemisphere. These opportunities are essential for establishing networks where researchers can share resources, data and expertise, thereby enhancing their capacity to address emerging threats effectively.
To hear more from the symposium and workshops, check out this podcast by QBI TV.
Banner photo: Jacqueline M. Fabius, Chief Operating Officer, UCSF Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI), speaking about scientific collaborations through operations and communications at the West Africa Symposium and Workshop on Infectious Disease.