An African-European consortium of 6 SSA countries and 3 European countries, gathering 12 partners is proposing a unique and innovative scalable training program and network that will produce empowered infectious diseases experts to lead and drive research from and for sub-Sahara Africa (SSA), at levels of early-stage career (post-graduate certification and doctoral) and mid-stage career (post-doctoral) in an integrated program of health informatics and data sciences (BRIDGE PROGRAM). The program consortium will set up 5 Centre of Excellence (CoEs) in SSA countries (Benin, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa). The CoEs will serve as training setting, field research setting and a hub for harmonized infectious diseases data, and all will recruit candidates from their countries for certification program, doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships but only 3 CoEs will be the degree awarding institutions. The degree awarding CoEs have been selected based on the existing university capacity to offer a degree awarding program or built on the existing partnerships between selected SSA public health institutes and local universities with degree awarding programs capacity. The program leverages the established collaborations between European and SSA institutions, utilizing accumulated medical data, including Electronic Health Records, registries, and biobanks. At the end of 54 months, program will have strengthened the institutional research leading capacities with at least 20 trainees per CoE with post-graduate certification, a total of 10 graduates with PhDs and a total of 4 post-doctoral fellows, skilled for harmonizing and analysing fragmented large data to derive data-driven insights and guide health policies. The CoEs embedded within public health institutions, with continuous mentorship from an international scientific community and a ready to use large amount of data, ensure the sustainability of training and collaborative research beyond the program grant.

We recently described the novel clade Ib mpox virus from Kamituga, South Kivu, which fast spread in the region and severe symptoms are the reason for the emergency call for mpox research. Further information on its transmission, origin, adaptation, the protective serological response from different population groups, possibilities to improve frontline treatment and possibilities for early detection of the extent of the outbreak is urgently needed to combat the outbreak. The research proposed here is in close collaboration with local researchers and authorities and linked with already established capacity building projects covering DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania. We aim to 1) determine the adaptation of the novel clade by performing on-site whole genome sequencing on a unique already available isolate collection covering the duration of the outbreak, 2) identify the origin of this clade by investigating bush meat and hunters, 3) investigate the importance of co-infections and the potential usefulness of real-time metagenomic sequencing treatment guidance, 4) determine the extent of the outbreak by serological and pit latrine surveillance in the cross-border regions of DRC, Burundi, Rwanda and Tanzania and 5) determine the specific immunological response to the novel clade from selected populations. We are uniquely positioned to conduct the proposed research, as we have the necessary technical skills and competences through on-going activities, all ethical permission are in place to investigate mpox as a disease X scenario and we have established collaboration with cross-border health authorities. We expect to create knowledge on the evolution and epidemiology of the novel clade, information on the expected immune response, and novel methods to perform early warning surveillance and improved treatment including of secondary infections. Almost all data generation and analyses will be performed locally, thus also ensuring capacity building for future epidemics.