Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ODIN (Strengthening Environmental Surveillance to Advance Public Health Action)
Berichtszeitraum: 2023-07-01 bis 2024-12-31
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.
● 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.
To reach the ODIN goal we have during the last 18 months been able to, among others:
- Developed a Knowledge Hub where we share tools and information regarding environmental surveillance to thousands of readers from more than a hundred different countries, mainly developing countries.
- Developed SOPs, mobile solutions and technical solutions to collect, generate data, analyze data, compile data and disseminate data related to environmental surveillance on a regional level in several SSA countries.
- Initiated sampling and translational correlation programs to demonstrate to SSA governments how the ODIN platform is relevant, from both a preparedness and cost-effectiveness state, to integrate into their current surveillance programs.
- Implementing the ODIN platform outside of the initial beneficiaries due to significant interest from other parties / governments to evaluate environmental surveillance, including Nyanja Health Institute in Malawi, as well as environmental surveillance of airports in Ethiopia in collaboration with their NPHL.
- Developed a Knowledge Hub where we share tools and information regarding environmental surveillance to thousands of readers from more than a hundred different countries, mainly developing countries.
- Developed SOPs, mobile solutions and technical solutions to collect, generate data, analyze data, compile data and disseminate data related to environmental surveillance on a regional level in several SSA countries.
- Initiated sampling and translational correlation programs to demonstrate to SSA governments how the ODIN platform is relevant, from both a preparedness and cost-effectiveness state, to integrate into their current surveillance programs.
- Implementing the ODIN platform outside of the initial beneficiaries due to significant interest from other parties / governments to evaluate environmental surveillance, including Nyanja Health Institute in Malawi, as well as environmental surveillance of airports in Ethiopia in collaboration with their NPHL.
Scientific impact
We have developed a highly adaptable mobile surveillance laboratory as well as working on developing adaptable scripts to facilitate visualization of complex biological data. This will significantly impact the scientific and clinical capacity of the partner countries as well as elsewhere where it is implemented. Our current scientific impact has also led us to gain a significant interest from non-beneficiaries in other SSA countries.
Societal impact
Project ODIN has received interest from individuals at MoH and MoE, also participating at our AGMs. Such interest from societal stakeholders is imperative for a full implementation of the platform. Our project has also raised the idea of setting-up (where lacking) One Health groups within the ministries of the three project beneficiaries in SSA, enabling a higher societal focus on environmental surveillance. However, since the project just recently initiated sampling, no long-term impact has yet been demonstrated on a societal level.
Economic impact
For a full implementation of the ODIN platform, it is critical that we can demonstrate a cost-effectiveness, e.g. a cost-effective way to limit illness and infection through genomic surveillance. This goal is a deliverable during the second half of the project, and we have therefore not been able to measure any impact on that level at this timepoint. We believe this document will be instrumental for us, and environmental surveillance in general, to move forward, and will be used in communication with stakeholders to stress the not only scientific and clinical impact implementation of genomic surveillance will have, but also the financial.
We have developed a highly adaptable mobile surveillance laboratory as well as working on developing adaptable scripts to facilitate visualization of complex biological data. This will significantly impact the scientific and clinical capacity of the partner countries as well as elsewhere where it is implemented. Our current scientific impact has also led us to gain a significant interest from non-beneficiaries in other SSA countries.
Societal impact
Project ODIN has received interest from individuals at MoH and MoE, also participating at our AGMs. Such interest from societal stakeholders is imperative for a full implementation of the platform. Our project has also raised the idea of setting-up (where lacking) One Health groups within the ministries of the three project beneficiaries in SSA, enabling a higher societal focus on environmental surveillance. However, since the project just recently initiated sampling, no long-term impact has yet been demonstrated on a societal level.
Economic impact
For a full implementation of the ODIN platform, it is critical that we can demonstrate a cost-effectiveness, e.g. a cost-effective way to limit illness and infection through genomic surveillance. This goal is a deliverable during the second half of the project, and we have therefore not been able to measure any impact on that level at this timepoint. We believe this document will be instrumental for us, and environmental surveillance in general, to move forward, and will be used in communication with stakeholders to stress the not only scientific and clinical impact implementation of genomic surveillance will have, but also the financial.