KNUST Hosts Capacity-Building Training on Pathogen Discovery and Metagenomics for Health Professionals
The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), in partnership with the Association of Public Health Laboratories (APHL) and the Centre for Health System Strengthening (CfHSS), has commenced a two-week intensive training programme on Pathogen Discovery and Metagenomics for selected Ghana Health Service staff, Research Assistants, and KNUST PhD students. The training, which runs from October 6th to 20th, 2025, aims to strengthen local capacity in genomics and bioinformatics to support disease surveillance and outbreak response efforts in Ghana.
At the opening ceremony held at KNUST, Professor Christian Agyare, Provost of the College of Health Sciences, commended the organisers and partners for initiating such a timely and impactful programme. He highlighted the increasing threat of emerging and re-emerging pathogens globally and underscored the importance of building local scientific expertise in pathogen discovery and genomic surveillance.
“One of the main challenges in the world today is the emergence of new pathogens and epidemics,” Prof. Agyare remarked. “I urge all participants to take full advantage of this programme to acquire the needed skills and experiences. I also encourage the organisers to continue offering such training so that its impact will multiply across institutions and communities.”
The training, facilitated by experts from KNUST, APHL, CfHSS, AFENET, and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), focuses on metagenomics investigations using Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) platforms. Participants will engage in both theoretical and hands-on laboratory sessions to learn how to generate, analyze, and interpret genomic data critical for disease surveillance, outbreak investigations, and tracking pathogen evolution.
Dr. Michael Owusu, Senior Lecturer and Researcher at KNUST’s Department of Medical Diagnostics, and one of the facilitators, explained that the training is designed to provide practical exposure to next-generation sequencing (NGS) tools and bioinformatics analysis workflows. “By the end of the training, participants will be well-equipped to apply metagenomic methods in public health laboratories to enhance national disease surveillance,” he said.
Other facilitators include Mr. Kwame Asante (Programme Director, APHL), Mr Eugene Yeboah (Senior Specialist in Next-Generation Sequencing, APHL), Dr. Bernard Nkrumah (Laboratory Technical Advisor, AFENET), Mr. David Jahbiuk Sambian (Programme Director, CfHSS), and Dr. John D. Klena (Lab Technical Advisor, US CDC).
This training forms part of Ghana’s broader efforts under the National Genomic Surveillance Strategy for Pathogens of Pandemic Potential, launched by the Ministry of Health in March 2024. The strategy aims to enhance genomic surveillance and improve preparedness for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases by promoting collaboration among national institutions and international partners.
The current session at KNUST marks the second phase of the training programme. The first phase was conducted at the National Public Health and Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) in Accra from 8th to 19th September 2025, and involved scientists from NPHRL, the Genomic and Infectious Disease Laboratory (GIDL) at KNUST, and the Kumasi Public Health Laboratory (KPHL).
Through initiatives like this, KNUST and its partners continue to demonstrate commitment to advancing scientific research, innovation, and public health preparedness in Ghana and beyond.
