The Africa Genome Archive for Response and Insight (AGARI) platform was unveiled on November 21, 2025, in Addis Ababa.

Dr. Kwenda, ASLM

Dr. Tanui, Africa CDC

In an era where data is the new currency of progress, Africa has often been marginalised in terms  of global scientific collaboration.

Fragmented systems, limited infrastructure, and siloed data have long hindered our ability to respond swiftly to health threats and use genomic insights for the greater good. However, this narrative is changing.

On November 21, 2025, the Africa Genome Archive for Response and Insight (AGARI) platform was launched at the Africa CDC’s Annual Laboratory Symposium in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

This launch builds on the transformative progress of the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI), the Africa CDC’s flagship programme established to expand and democratise genomic surveillance across the continent.

Since 2020, the Africa PGI has grown the number of African Union Member States with functional pathogen genomics capacity rapidly, from just seven to 46 by 2025, while strengthening networks, infrastructure and workforces across its 54 member states.

As this genomic capacity has expanded, so has the volume of data generated, creating an urgent need for a secure, sovereign and interoperable data-sharing platform.

AGARI is the obvious next step: a continental system designed to ensure that Africa’s genomic data is produced, stored, secured, governed and utilised on the continent.

AGARI is more than just a technological innovation; it is a bold declaration of Africa’s digital sovereignty.

Developed with the support of the Mastercard Foundation and spearheaded by Africa Pathogen Initiative (Africa PGI), a flagship initiative of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and in collaboration with the African Society for Laboratory Medicine (ASLM), AGARI is  Africa’s first secure, centralised, and sovereign ecosystem for pathogen genomics.

AGARI signals Africa’s readiness to take the lead in genomic surveillance, data sharing, and collaborative research.

The global health crisis caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has exposed the vulnerabilities of health systems worldwide. For Africa in particular, however, it has highlighted an even greater challenge: the lack of integrated data platforms capable of supporting real-time genomic analysis and cross-border collaboration.

AGARI’s  creation of a secure, interoperable, and continent-wide ecosystem for genomic data  promises to bridge the gaps that have historically slowed down our progress.

At its core, AGARI is a commitment to ensuring that African data is stored in Africa and is governed by its member states. It addresses the “silo problem” that has long plagued our health systems.

Historically,  valuable genomic data has been isolated in national laboratories or research centers, invisible to neighboring countries facing the same threats.

AGARI breaks down these barriers, establishing a secure platform for data sharing. When a new variant of Mpox emerges in Central Africa, or a drug-resistant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae surfaces in Southern Africa, this information can now be shared in near real-time, allowing countries to prepare before the pathogen knocks on their door.

However, the platform is more than just a repository; it is a tool for generating actionable intelligence. By integrating genomic sequences with epidemiological data, AGARI enables public health officials to visualise outbreaks as they occur.

It converts genetic codes into maps of transmission, offering a unified framework through which researchers, public health agencies, and policymakers can access and share vital genomic data securely and compromising sovereignty.

This is not just about technology, but also about trust. AGARI is founded on the principle of ethical data governance, ensuring that African data remains under African control while contributing to global knowledge.

AGARI empowers countries to make evidence-based decisions faster, whether they are tracking outbreaks or monitoring antimicrobial resistance. We are shifting from a reactive to a proactive approach in terms of outbreak monitoring and AMR surveillance. The launch was just the beginning. AGARI’s true success will be measured by how widely it is adopted. Member States must trust the system and use it. By standardising how we archive and analyse this data, we are creating an integrated resource that will bolster our continental public health responses against various disease threats. With our sights firmly set on the future, AGARI is a testament to the technical capabilities of Africa. We are not just participants in global genomic conversation anymore; we are leading it.

We have built the infrastructure to house our own biological heritage and the expertise to interpret it. By making data more accessible and encouraging collaboration, AGARI is laying the groundwork for continent-driven innovation. When it comes to fighting future pandemics, speed is the currency of survival. With AGARI, Africa is moving from being a passive recipient of global solutions to becoming an active contributor that is shaping the future of health. This transformation is made possible by the foundation laid through the Africa Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Africa PGI), which has rapidly expanded genomic capacity across the continent, and by the collective efforts of regional and global partners who continue to strengthen surveillance, laboratory systems, and emergency response.

Together, the Africa PGI and the Africa CDC’s strategic partnerships form a cohesive ecosystem that empowers African Member States to detect threats earlier, share data securely and respond quickly to protect public health.