What is it about?
The ongoing coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with its numerous variants of concern has shown the need to have a robust and complete global infectious diseases genomic surveillance network worldwide. Various clinical and research institutions have stepped up to perform SARS-CoV-2 sequencing thus enhancing the understanding of this virus' global evolution. However, given that genomic sequencing capacities and capabilities are not available in every region or country, significant gaps exist, which lead to geographic blind spots. One such region is the Caribbean. This paper measures the Caribbean region's SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequencing capacity and highlights the need to improve further regional genomics surveillance capacities and capabilities, which are essential for efficient health interventions for infectious diseases.
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Why is it important?
This situational report provides an updated assessment of SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance capacity within 30 Caribbean islands/countries by tabulating publicly shared genome data generated from this region of the world and then analysing how factors such as socio-economic status and political structure influence the availability and accessibility of next-generation sequencing for pathogen surveillance.
Perspectives
Considering the Caribbean region's dispersed heterogeneous populations, varying political regimes, and resource-constrained healthcare systems, further development of local next-generation sequencing capacity and capabilities in the Caribbean region is needed to achieve global public health goals.
Dr. Martin S Forde
St. George's University, Grenada
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Infectious diseases genomic surveillance capacity in the Caribbean: a retrospective analysis of SARS-CoV-2, The Lancet Regional Health - Americas, February 2023, Elsevier,
DOI: 10.1016/j.lana.2022.100411.
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