ADDIS ABABA — The Armauer Hansen Research Institute (AHRI) One Health Division, in partnership with the Jigjiga One Health Initiative (JOHI) project, has successfully conducted a comprehensive technical training program for laboratory professionals from the Federal Republic of Somalia.
The program aimed to strengthen the diagnostic capacity of laboratory professionals working in health facilities across the country. The AHRI Training Center has long-standing expertise in TB microbiology, molecular diagnostics, sequencing, and bioinformatics, and serves as a national center of excellence. This training was designed to leverage AHRI’s capacity to support skill transfer and institutional strengthening for Somali health professionals.
The intensive program focused on the critical intersection of traditional microbiology and modern genomics to combat tuberculosis (TB).
Advancing Laboratory Excellence
The training was designed to bridge the gap between conventional diagnostics and next-generation technologies. Participants engaged in rigorous sessions covering the full spectrum of TB diagnosis, including:
- Culture & DST Workflows: Enhancing practical skills in specimen handling, solid and liquid culture processing, and first- and second-line Drug Susceptibility Testing (DST).
- Genomic Pipelines: An introduction to sequencing laboratory workflows to modernize pathogen identification and strain typing.
- Bioinformatics Competence: Building foundational skills in data quality control, variant interpretation, and genomic resistance prediction.
Impact and Outcomes
By the end of the program, participants demonstrated significant technical growth in both wet-lab procedures and basic bioinformatics analysis.
The initiative is expected to yield substantial benefits for the Somali healthcare landscape, including:
- Improved Accuracy: Higher-quality TB diagnostics and more reliable results.
- Enhanced Monitoring: Better detection and surveillance of drug-resistant TB strains.
- System Strengthening: Stronger laboratory-based surveillance systems to inform public health decision-making.
Ultimately, this initiative aims to improve patient outcomes and enhance TB control efforts across the region. Through the sponsorship of the Jigjiga One Health Initiative (JOHI), this collaboration marks a vital step toward fostering regional expertise and applying a One Health approach to tackling infectious diseases.