The Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), in collaboration with GIZ PharmaVax Ghana, organized a five-day viral and Bacterial Genomics, Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Detection and Surveillance Workshop at KCCR in Kumasi, Ghana on 19th to 23rd October 2026.

The workshop aimed to strengthen local capacity in pathogen genomics, molecular diagnostics, antimicrobial resistance detection, and infectious disease surveillance. It addressed the growing need for skilled professionals capable of generating, analysing, interpreting, and translating genomic data into actionable information for clinical care and public health response.

The five-day workshop brought together laboratory scientists, clinical microbiologists, bioinformaticians, epidemiologists, public health professionals, and other practitioners working in infectious disease research and surveillance.

Participants received theoretical instruction and engaged in hands-on wet-lab and bioinformatics exercises, case studies, outbreak simulations, and practical sessions that introduced them to working with samples. The training combined laboratory techniques with computational approaches to demonstrate how genomic data can inform disease detection, investigation, and response.

Using the Galaxy platform as the primary computational environment, participants explored key stages of genomic data analysis. A central focus of the workshop was the application of whole-genome sequencing (WGS) data to bacterial pathogen characterization and AMR detection. Participants learned approaches for identifying resistance genes, examining viral and bacterial genomes, and interpreting genomic findings relevant to public health.

The viral surveillance component introduced participants to SARS-CoV-2 variant identification, lineage classification, and phylogenetic analysis to support the investigation and monitoring of infectious disease outbreaks.

By combining wet-lab training with bioinformatics and genomic surveillance, the workshop equipped participants with practical knowledge and skills to support more effective pathogen detection, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and outbreak investigation.

Strengthening these competencies is an important step towards building resilient surveillance systems and improving the ability of local institutions to respond to emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats.