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Lumaka A, Carstens N, Devriendt K, Krause A, Kulohoma B, Kumuthini J, Mubungu G, Mukisa J, Nel M, Olanrewaju TO, Lombard Z, Landouré G. Increasing African genomic data generation and sharing to resolve rare and undiagnosed diseases in Africa: a call-to-action by the H3Africa rare diseases working group. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2022; 17:230. [PMID: 35710439 PMCID: PMC9201791 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-022-02391-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The rich and diverse genomics of African populations is significantly underrepresented in reference and in disease-associated databases. This renders interpreting the Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) data and reaching a diagnostic more difficult in Africa and for the African diaspora. It increases chances for false positives with variants being misclassified as pathogenic due to their novelty or rarity. We can increase African genomic data by (1) making consent for sharing aggregate frequency data an essential component of research toolkit; (2) encouraging investigators with African data to share available data through public resources such as gnomAD, AVGD, ClinVar, DECIPHER and to use MatchMaker Exchange; (3) educating African research participants on the meaning and value of sharing aggregate frequency data; and (4) increasing funding to scale-up the production of African genomic data that will be more representative of the geographical and ethno-linguistic variation on the continent. The RDWG of H3Africa is hereby calling to action because this underrepresentation accentuates the health disparities. Applying the NGS to shorten the diagnostic odyssey or to guide therapeutic options for rare diseases will fully work for Africans only when public repositories include sufficient data from African subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aimé Lumaka
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo. .,Laboratoire de Génétique Humaine, GIGA-Research Institute, University of Liège, Bât. B34 +2, Sart Tilman, Avenue de l'Hôpital 13, 4000, Liège, Belgium.
| | - Nadia Carstens
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service, and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Koenraad Devriendt
- Centre for Human Genetics, University Hospital, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Amanda Krause
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service, and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Benard Kulohoma
- Centre for Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya.,ADVANCE, IAVI, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Judit Kumuthini
- South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI), University of Western Cape (UWC), Robert Sobukwe Road Bellville, Cape Town, 7535, Republic of South Africa
| | - Gerrye Mubungu
- Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo.,Centre for Human Genetics, University Hospital, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - John Mukisa
- Department of Immunology and Molecular Biology, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Third Floor, Pathology & Microbiology building Upper Mulago Hill, P.O.Box 7072, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Melissa Nel
- Neurology Research Group, Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, 7925, South Africa
| | - Timothy O Olanrewaju
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, University of Ilorin and University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital, Tanke Road, PMB 1515, Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria.,Julius Global Health, Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Zané Lombard
- Division of Human Genetics, National Health Laboratory Service, and School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Guida Landouré
- Faculté de Médecine Et d'Odontostomatologie, USTTB, Bamako, Mali.,Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire du Point G, Bamako, Mali
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Züchner S, Pareyson D. Charcot‐Marie‐Tooth disease in Africa. J Peripher Nerv Syst 2022; 27:98-99. [DOI: 10.1111/jns.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Stephan Züchner
- Department of Human Genetics and Hussman Institute for Human Genomics University of Miami Miami Florida USA
| | - Davide Pareyson
- Unit of Rare Neurodegenerative and Neurometabolic Diseases, Department of Clinical Neurosciences Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
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