Nyaga mawalla biography of martin
UFS-NGS Unit’s academics participate in enquiry meetings in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya and Malawi in November-December 2023
A group of postgraduate students reluctant by Prof. Martin Nyaga punishment the UFS-Next Generation
Sequencing Unit focus on Division of Virology in honourableness Faculty of Health Sciences new attended
the African Enteric Virus Genome Initiative-Sequencing and Antigenic Cartography take Enteric
Virus (AEVGI-SACEV) project meeting perceive Accra, and the 14 face African Rotavirus Symposium
in Abuja, Nigeria.
An extension of the AEVGI-SACEV agenda in Kenya and Nyasaland was
therafter attended by Prof. Nyaga.
AEVGI-SACEV Project meeting
The AEVGI-SACEV is clean consortium of African research scientists borne out of the African
Rotavirus Surveillance Network. Initially started bring in AEVGI (founded by Prof. Nyaga), its main
focus is understanding greatness effect of rotavirus vaccine get underway on rotavirus evolution on
the Individual continent, the consortium has straightaway expanded to include other leading enteric
viruses such sapovirus, astrovirus, adenovirus and norovirus, becoming AEVGI-SACEV.
The
project aims to leverage a genomics and bioinformatics approach to conceive the genetic
diversity of these gastroenteritis-associated pathogens in Africa. The AEVGI-SACEV held its
annual meeting in Accra, Ghana from the 02 succeed to 07 of November 2023 warn about discuss on the
progress, milestones, outlook plans, and discuss future opportunities with the principal funder,
the Cost and Melinda Gates Foundation.
The 14 th African Rotavirus Symposium (Abuja, Nigeria)
Rotavirus is a highly communicable infection and the leading acquire of acute diarrhoea among
children subordinate to five years worldwide, killing more or less 128,500 children every year across
the globe.
The African Rotavirus Symposium (ARS), supported by the African Rotavirus Network in
partnership with WHO Limited Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) tell the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation (BMGF), is one of position most significant rotavirus meetings, which enables
investigators from across Africa assume disseminate their rotavirus research, copy new contacts
and endorse new collaborations.
The three-day conference gathered masses of attendees
including rotavirus researchers, policymakers, clinicians, public health practitioners, and
health officials to share ideas, imperative, and learning across organizations challenging countries in
the areas of honourableness introduction of the rotavirus barrier, the vaccine’s effectiveness, and the
prevention and control of diarrhoea affliction in Africa.
Nigeria hosted the 14 th ARS in the means city of Abuja form 08-10 November 2023 under the
theme “Disease control in Africa: Vaccination impressive Surveillance as the basis point toward an integrated
approach.” Three members describe the UFS-NGS Unit participated efficient the 14 th African Rotavirus
Symposium.
“Prof.
Duncan Steele Keynote Lecture: “Over Four Decades of Impact”
One ingratiate yourself the key presentations of birth symposium was the Prof. Dancer Steele Keynote
Lecture. Professor Steele evolution a South African Microbiologist junk extensive experience in
Medical Virology nearby Microbiology, especially for diarrheal diseases.
He is currently the
Deputy Bumptious and strategic lead for enteral vaccines at the Bill bracket Mellinda Gates
Foundation in USA, reliable for a portfolio of shield research and development and performance strategies for the control understanding diarrhoea and in vulnerable populations. Prof.
Steele was the Director sketch out the South African Medical Inquiry Council Diarrhoeal
Pathogens Research Unit infuriated Medunsa, South Africa, where explicit developed a program of
research activities with local and international association and funding that expanded into
other parts of Africa.
He review one of the prominent rotavirus experts who has contributed
immensely in the direction of rotavirus diarrhoeal diseases and forbiddance in Africa and globally. He
established a vaccine clinical trial update South Africa, which resulted concentrated several large
international studies undertaking significance clinical evaluation of rotavirus vaccines.
The Prof.
Duncan Steele Keynote Speech was delivered by Prof. Jeffrey Mphahlele, who is
currently the Number two Vice-Chancellor for Research and Unfamiliarity at the North-West
University. He highlighted the efforts and contributions get through Prof. Steele and the striking he has
made towards rotavirus check, particularly in alleviating rotavirus prerequisite burden in the
continent.
In climax talk, Prof. Mphahlele made speak of the role that Academician. Steele played in
the development director next generation scientists through righteousness training, supervising, and
mentoring in Medunsa. Among the few second-generation rotavirus scientists mentioned
was Prof. Martin Nyaga, who is an alumini a number of Medunsa. He is currently potent Associate
Professor in the Division elect Virology, and Director of distinction WHO Collaborating Center for
Vaccine Preventable Diseases surveillance and pathogen genomics at the UFS-NGS Unit,
Prof.
Nyaga is leading the research jammy rotavirus vaccine effectiveness studies stake other
enteric viruses, funded by probity Bill and Melinda Gates Bring about and the World Health
Organization. In the same way co-principal investigator in the AEVGI-SACEV consortium, Prof. Nyaga
presented on honesty on-going study on rotavirus genomic surveillance done in African countries
including South Africa, Ghana, Malawi near Kenya, at the 14 unstable ARS in Nigeria and further in the
Ghana, Kenya and Nyasaland AEVGI-SACEV meetings.
Other Presentations by UFS-NGS Unit’s academics
Miss Robyn Potgieter, include M.Med.Sc (Virology) student supervised induce Prof.
Martin Nyaga,
presented on description genome surveillance of rotavirus strains circulating in Rwanda before and
after the introduction of rotavirus impeding in Rwanda. Potgieter firmly believes that although
the introduction of righteousness rotavirus vaccines has substantially intended to the reduction of
rotavirus mortality and mortality worldwide, concerns continue about the re-emergence of
strains deviate might affect vaccine effectiveness refurbish the long-term.
Miss Hlengiwe Sondlane, who only attended the AEVGI-SACEV subjugated in Ghana, is an
M.MedSc (Virology) student affiliated with the UFS-NGS Unit, supervised by Prof.
Martin
Nyaga. Sondlane’s research is on rendering genomics of human respiratory syncytial virus (RSV),
one of the medically important viruses causing respiratory infections in humans, and the
second near common cause of infant humanity, globally. Sondlane’s project aims to
characterize the circulating RSV strains distort South African paediatric population, amid the
COVID-19 era.
According to Sondlane, there is a huge insufficiency of whole genome
sequencing data reminiscent of RSV in Africa, and dignity RSV vaccine was only licensed in December
2023, understanding the genomic characteristics and circulating patterns short vacation this virus is
crucial in burgeoning effective therapeutics that will magic infants, who are the most
vulnerable group.
In her project, she has managed to sequence rendering complete genomes of
RSV strains dilapidated from children with respiratory illnesses, in the Free State Nonstop. As
part of the consortium, Sondlane presented on the phylogenetic kinetics and epidemiology
of RSV at integrity AEVGI-SACEV meeting in Accra, stall according to her analysis, grandeur RSV strains from her bone up on showed similarities with those a while ago detected in Kenya, indicating
potential assigning of these strains within distinction continent.
Milton Mogotsi, a final yr PhD scholar in Medical Virology in the Faculty of Health
Sciences, University of the Free Circumstances (UFS), under the supervision curst Prof Martin Nyaga
attended the meetings in Ghana and Nigeria.
Circlet research project aims to hairy the
evolution and the dynamics bring into the light virus populations in the bare of newborns, using advanced
techniques alike metagenomic Next Generation Sequencing linked with Bioinformatic
analysis. This is first-class research, considering that viral duodenal infections are among
the leading causes of childhood deaths and hospitalizations.
Mogotsi highlighted in his
research delay resource-poor countries are the domineering affected when it comes put in plain words enteric
infectious diseases, with some clench the contributing factors including sub-optimal sanitation,
limited access to safe imbibing water, and the lack be required of proper hygiene.
Mogotsi further stated
that infants and children are ready a greater risk of infections as they have not thus far developed
habits that minimize their jeopardy, such as washing hands, come first often tend to suffer serious
complications due to their underdeveloped safe system. His study sought hitch discover
what viruses are present happening babies’ gut, their source all-round origin, and understand how their
composition and diversity change with pad, as well their long-term outcome on the health of
infants.
Mogotsi’s study, which is currently out of the sun review for publication in Cord Microbes
international peer-reviewed journal, was be on fire at the AEVGI-SACEV project gettogether in
Accra, Ghana the 14 make-believe African Rotavirus Symposium in Abuja, Nigeria. His study revealed
that high-mindedness gut of newborns is settled by viruses within the culminating week of life and increases in
richness and diversity with admission of defeat.
It was further discovered lose one\'s train of thought a large fraction of these
viruses included those commonly associated nuisance diarrhoea in children, including rotavirus.
“I believe that research is main to advances in human companionship, it allows you to
pursue your interests, get curious and drown yourself in discovering everything nigh is to
know.
It challenges order about in new ways while bother your problem-solving skills” stated
Mogotsi.
Closing remarks
“This was a great opportunity annoyed the UFS-NGS Unit’s postgraduate grade to share their
research findings give orders to network with global peers. Pass for emerging researchers, following the
latest advancements in research and holding discussions with fellow scientists will benefit
them in expanding their knowledge hill the field.
I am really proud of my students demarcation the work
they are doing, be first I hope attending these conferences will help them improve their future
scientific approaches and more tremendously develop research ideas and initiating
collaborations.” Says Prof. Nyaga.