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28 September 2020 | Story Andre Damons | Photo Supplied
Dr Martin Nyaga, Senior Lecturer and Researcher: NGS, will be heading the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre (WHO CC).
The University of the Free State (UFS) has been designated a World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre (WHO CC), and the university’s Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Unit, in partnership with the World Health Organisation (WHO), will for the next four years be conducting genome sequencing of pathogenic organisms, including rotavirus strains from the African continent. 

This centre will be part of the Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPD) Pathogens Genomics Cluster and will run from September 2020 to September 2024. 

Dr Martin Nyaga, Senior Lecturer and Researcher: NGS/Virology, who will be heading the WHO CC, says an institution is designated as a WHO CC by the WHO Director-General and endorsed by the host country’s minister of health to form part of an international collaborative network, carrying out activities in support of the WHO programmess at all levels. A designation as a WHO CC is a time-limited agreement of collaboration between WHO and the designated institution, through which the latter agrees to implement a series of concrete activities, specifically designed for WHO.

A supreme achievement

Says Dr Nyaga: “In my opinion, a WHO CC designation is one of the supreme achievements an institution can be conferred as a recognition for foregoing exceptional collaborative venture with the WHO and showing future potential to assist the WHO with its global programmes and in our case, the WHO Regional Office for Africa region to offer solutions to the WHO VPD Surveillance and pathogens genomics cluster.”

According to Dr Nyaga this designation was awarded to the UFS after the WHO was content with the outcome of a service contract whereby the UFS-NGS unit undertook a pilot rotavirus surveillance project at whole genome level, using two African countries for the pilot, Rwanda and Zambia.

“From the outcomes of the pilot surveillance project between 2017 and 2019, the WHO/AFRO was satisfied with the genomic data that was generated and partially disseminated in scientific databases and journals as a collaborative venture. 

“It was thus proposed to strengthen its existing collaboration with the UFS-NGS Unit, which initiated the application process to designate the UFS-NGS unit as a WHO CC, an initiative that has taken approximately 20 months to finalise through the different phases of the application and approvals for the designation,” explains Dr Nyaga.

The purpose of the WHO CC

The new WHO CC will upon request by the WHO, implement agreed work plans in a timely manner and to the highest possible standards of quality and must comply with the referred terms of reference and conditions. These include: 
• Conducting genome sequencing of pathogenic organisms causing VPD, including rotavirus strains collected as part of the routine VPD surveillance using NGS technology and analysis of the generated datasets using bioinformatics tools.

• Conducting molecular characterisation of specimens collected during outbreaks and public health emergencies as part of the support for monitoring, preparedness and response to VPD disease outbreaks in Africa.

• Provide technical guidance to WHO on strategies to improve laboratory molecular diagnostics, molecular typing and NGS of rotavirus diarrheal strains and other enteropathogens to detect novel and re-emerging strains. 

• Conduct validation of tools and new molecular diagnostics for detection and characterisation of unusual or rare VPD strains to guide studies and development of new vaccines for VPD.

• Organise capacity-building and training workshops on whole genome sequencing of priority VPD pathogenic organisms.

The impact of the WHO CC on the work of the UFS-NGS 

According to Dr Nyaga, the designation brings extra responsibilities to his work and to the activities of the UFS-NGS unit. “Such initiatives are very welcome to enhance the business aspects, research and academic activities of the UFS-NGS unit, as the benefits are quite holistic since the collaboration enhances co-ownership of data and offers opportunities to train postgraduate students and other scientists.

“It also expands the research infrastructure and most importantly contributes to policy for numerous African governments in important decisions such as vaccine implementation activities, from an informed point of view and managing public health needs that require rapid response like outbreaks that may lead to pandemics.” 
• The current WHO CC designations at South African Institutions of higher learning and research can be found at: 

News Archive

Honorary doctorate to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu attracts wide attention
2011-01-27

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu after receiving his honorary doctorate in Theology at the UFS.
- Photo: Hannes Pieterse

 

The University of the Free State (UFS) awarded an honorary doctorate to Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu on Thursday, 27 January 2011. The graduation ceremony, which was attended by guests from across the country marks a milestone in the history of the university.

Amongst the guests were the ambassador of the USA to South Africa, Mr Donald Gips; the British High Commissioner to South Africa, Dr Nicola Brewer; members of the local government; Ms Barbara Hogan, former Minister of Public Works and the daughters of Bram Fischer, Ruth Fischer-Rice and Ilse Fischer-Wilson. Friends of Dr Tutu, Dr Ahmed Kathrada, Ms Barbara Hogan and Dr Allan and Ms Elna Boesak also attended the occasion.
 
The UFS also received a message of congratulations from the Deputy President of South Africa, Mr Kgalema Motlanthe. “The choice to honour this exemplar of virtue to which most of the world still look for direction as it buckles under social, political and economic difficulties is laudable in all respects,” he said.
Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS, said: “We honour a great son of South Africa who made a tremendous contribution to peace, reconciliation and justice in South Africa and in the world.
 
“There were times when few of us thought apartheid would end in our lifetime, yet you stood as a rock reassuring us, not about a black future, but about our common future. For this reason, Arch, we would not miss this opportunity to honour you for any reason whatsoever.
 
“You, Sir, are a Jew among Muslims, a Christian among Hindus, a Catholic among Anglicans, a bridge-builder among all of us. That is why we love you; because you look deeper and see further than all of us.”
 
According to Prof. Francois Tolmie, Dean of the UFS’s Faculty of Theology, the university honours Dr Tutu for his contribution as theologian – through his teaching and the books he wrote – as well as for the role he played in bringing about reconciliation in South Africa as well as in the rest of the world. The university also honours Dr Tutu as a moral and spiritual leader who never sacrificed his integrity as a Christian.
 
Apart from being a church leader and a leading world figure, Dr Tutu is the author of several books and also held a number of teaching posts at various tertiary institutions.
 
In 1984, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his role as a unifying leader figure in the campaign to abolish apartheid in South Africa. A further highlight in his career was his election as Archbishop of Cape Town in 1986. He was the first black African to serve in this position, which placed him at the head of the Anglican Church in South Africa.  
 
Many South Africans also remember the role he played when President Nelson Mandela appointed him in December 1995 to chair the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which was established to investigate human rights violations during the apartheid era. The Archbishop guided the nation in the process of choosing forgiveness over revenge and in so doing set a historic international precedent.   
 
In 1996, he retired as Archbishop of Cape Town but continues to speak out in favour of human rights, equality and social justice in South Africa and throughout the world.
 
In August 2009, President Barack Obama presented him with the Medal of Freedom, the United States of America’s highest civilian honour. Dr Desmond Tutu is recognised around the world as a moral leader committed to the human rights of all people.
 
Today he is chairman of The Elders, a group of world leaders who, in view of their integrity and leadership, are equipped to deal with some of the world’s most pressing problems.
 
Prof. Tolmie says: “It is often asked how Dr Tutu could have achieved all this in the span of one lifetime. Some people would refer to his warm personality or his humanness, his deep sense of humility or his wonderful sense of humour. Probing a little deeper, however, one is struck by Dr Tutu’s deep relationship with God. He is known as a man of faith, a man of prayer. He lives his life coram Deo, in the presence of God.”
 
Dr Tutu also lead the introduction ceremony of the UFS’s International Institute for Studies in Race, Reconciliation and Social Justice.
 
 
Media Release
27 January 2011
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication (actg)
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za
 

 

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