The ODIN project will strengthen genomics and bioinformatics capacity, as well as database management skills for generating, maintaining, and querying large data sets, in sub-Saharan countries. Further, the project will develop a genomic surveillance system relying on environmental monitoring of major communicable disease agents in community wastewaters and other environmental samples (wells, rivers, soil). In a timely, socially and ethically acceptable anonymous manner, environmental surveillance can detect outbreaks of poverty-related pathogens, waterborne diseases and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), as well as the means to convey this information to key stakeholders for efficient implementation of data-driven evidence for informed public health policies. By bringing together a multi-disciplinary team of leading experts and organisations within the fields of communicable disease epidemiology, microbiology, bioinformatics, water technology and environmental science, ODIN will provide an optimal research, development, capacity building, and implementation environment that will help set up a sustainable model for how genomics surveillance systems can be applied in sub-Saharan conditions and support safe drinking-water supply and sanitation. We will achieve our goals, through the following objectives, which are reflected in the project’s work packages:
● Set up an environmental surveillance scheme for a set of chosen human pathogens and AMR determinants to be piloted and utilised in local sub-Saharan communities, supporting SDG3. (WP2)
● Develop a mobile wastewater and clean water surveillance system in order to efficiently and in a timely manner detect, gather data on, and report outbreaks in remote areas of the participating countries, contributing to rapid response. (WP3)
● Accelerate raw data processing and analysis through interactive, semi-automation, thus speeding up transfer of information about threat. (WP4)
● Set up a training program for improved capacity building that entails genome sequencing of environmental samples and subsequent bioinformatics processing of the produced genomic data containing spatial and temporal trends in the occurrence of human pathogens in sub-Saharan countries. (WP6)
● Develop standards to support practices for sharing genomic data, including beyond national borders, for public health measures. (WP7)
● Strengthen health systems by process(es) on how the generated data will be transferred to key stakeholders (clinics, governments, policy makers, etc) for efficient and timely actions upon outbreaks or detection of contaminated water. (WP4, WP6, WP7)
● Investigate, from an epidemiological and bacteriological angle, the role of different Vibrio species in causing cholera. (WP5)
● Reduce annual cases of disease, illness and death due to drinking water from contaminated sources by increasing awareness and providing protocols for efficient water and sanitation interventions, supporting SDG6 (WP5)
The ODIN project will achieve this overall impact by focusing on four targets:
1. Enhanced capacity for pathogen genomics and workforce.
2. Improved population-based monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and intervention.
3. Development of low-cost, field-adaptable molecular tools for pathogen surveillance in remote settings.
4. Capacity building through short and long-term training.
