30 Aug 2023

 Botswana’s public health yesterday, received a huge shot in the arm, in the form of a P10m worth donation of an Illumina NextSeq 2000 Sequencing System, which allows for a broad range of large-scale sequencing applications. Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) made the donation, which President Dr Mokgweetsi Masisi received on behalf of the nation. 

The President thanked Africa CDC for the “generous and appropriate” donation, which he said was in line with Botswana’s aspirations of being at the cutting edge of medical technology and research. The machine will be housed at Botswana Harvard Health Partnership’s (BHP) laboratory whose personnel Dr Masisi urged to fully utitlise for the benefit of humanity. 

BHP laboratory director, Dr Sikhulile Moyo, said the donation marked a remarkable milestone in Botswana’s journey towards scientific excellence and innovation, as well as realisation of its desire to be a knowledge based economy. 

The machine, he said, was a gateway to discoveries that would shape the future of Botswana and its contributions to the world. 

“Botswana has consistently demonstrated its potential to lead, strive for excellence and to achieve the extraordinary. As we stand at the intersection of science and discovery, we are presented with an unparalleled opportunity to harness the power of genomics and redefine the boundaries of what is possible,” Dr Moyo said. 

He said the equipment opened doors to a myriad of applications, “from understanding pathogens that threaten public health to deciphering the complex tapestry of cancer markers within the human genome as well as the evolution of viruses and understanding resistance.” With its unprecedented flexibility and scalability, the machine would allow locals to conduct  research on a variety of subjects, with shorter turnaround times, he said. 

Africa CDC Director General, Dr Jean Kaseya said the AU Agency’s collaboration with BHP marked a journey of discovery that would not only transform the understanding of genetics, but would also pave way for a healthier and more resilient future for all. 

The machine, he said, would be useful in tracking “the evolution of infections that impacted the nation and region - from HIV and tuberculosis to the ever-evolving challenges posed by influenza and COVID-19”. Dr Kaseya added that the donation was part of Africa CDC’s pledges to support Botswana’s health initiatives. 

He said it came against the backdrop of recent accreditation of BHP laboratory as a WHO collaborating centre of excellence. ends