Background
HERA-2-Lithuania – is a continuation of the ECDC/HERA Incubator project (ECDC/HERA/2021/015) funded by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and supported by the European Health Emergency preparedness and Response Authority (HERA), which aimed to develop Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) national infrastructure and capacities to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Public Health Surveillance Laboratory (NPHSL) acts as a reference laboratory responsible for the extension, improvement and enhancement of previously implemented WGS technologies to respond not only to new emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, but also to other pathogens of concern in Lithuania.
Objective
The main objective of HERA-2-Lithuania is to create an effective integration system and sustainable process workflow to improve infectious disease prevention and control in the EU.
Concept
The project is expected to implement new WGS assays to expand genomic-based epidemiological surveillance for infectious diseases at the national and EU levels; develop a model for systematic data sharing on international databases, including ECDC; launch a communication strategy to ensure that stakeholders and the public are aware of the project’s progress, goals, and outcomes; provide a training and support capacity building for personnel involved in the WGS infrastructure, including laboratory technicians, data analysts, and public health professionals.
Impact
The main project’s impact and added value to other European countries would be to increase the integration of the WGS results into the Lithuanian and foreign databases, which will allow real-time and more accurate monitoring of the epidemiological situation at the local, regional and/or international level. It offers great potential for infectious disease outbreak detection and investigation, as well as identifying novel pathogens and markers for emerging antimicrobial resistance. Increased WGS capacity will enable preventive screening and molecular diagnostics for various infectious pathogens such as Listeria spp., Salmonella spp., Campylobacter spp., Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, seasonal influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2. The target groups that will benefit from this project include medical institutions, public health professionals, the Ministry of Health and society.
Funding
HERA-2-Lithuania is a 30-month project funded by the European Union under the EU4Health Program (GA Health and Digital Executive Agency (HADEA)).
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.