Establishing a genomic lab during COVID-19: A perspective from Institut Pasteur in Côte d'Ivoire.

Institut Pasteur de Côte d'Ivoire established genomic surveillance capacity during COVID-19, serving as a strategic blueprint for Africa's health resilience.

• Why it matters: Africa faces a disproportionate burden of epidemic threats like COVID-19, highlighting the need for strengthened genomic surveillance to improve response capabilities.
• What they did: The institute transitioned from limited capacity to established expertise in genomic surveillance, drawing lessons from the pandemic to enhance regional health resilience.
• The result: This institutional strengthening offers a strategic model that can be adopted across Africa to better prepare for and respond to emerging health threats.