Strengthening genomics capacity across malaria‑endemic countries is at the heart of MalariaGEN’s mission to support locally led, sustainable surveillance systems. As more national malaria programmes, public‑health laboratories and research groups begin integrating genomics into routine decision‑making, the demand for high‑quality, accessible training has grown dramatically.
Today, we’re excited to share two new openly available training‑resource catalogues, developed as part of MalariaGEN’s capacity‑strengthening initiative. These resources are designed to help partners—from National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs) and universities to regional sequencing hubs—quickly identify relevant courses, tutorials, workshops and open materials to advance skills in parasite genomics, vector genomics and bioinformatics.
What’s New? Two Comprehensive Training Resource Spreadsheets
We are releasing two structured datasets, each serving a different purpose:
Landscape Survey of Genomics Training Resources (Full Catalogue)
A wide‑ranging repository of 100+ training resources covering:
- Whole‑genome sequencing (WGS)
- Bioinformatics and data analysis
- FAIR data, metadata and submission standards
- Vector and parasitology genomics
- Cloud computing and workflow tools
- Public‑health genomics, ethics and surveillance
The resource list integrates offerings from major training providers including H3ABioNet, Africa CDC PGI, EMBL‑EBI, The Carpentries, Galaxy Training Network, Broad Institute/Terra, WHO OpenWHO, and more.
This catalogue is intended for research institutes, regional genomic hubs, universities, and advanced analysts looking for modular, open, and advanced genomics content.
NMCP‑Focused Training Resource List (Targeted for Public‑Health Use)
A refined subset specifically highlighting training most relevant for NMCPs, including:
- Introductory genomics for surveillance
- Genomic epidemiology essentials
- Practical WGS analysis workflows
- Data visualisation and interpretation (Microreact, PHYLOViZ)
- Data governance, FAIR principles and policy‑ready reporting
This targeted resource helps NMCP managers, analysts and surveillance officers find quick‑start, accessible, and programmatically useful materials aligned with malaria‑genomic use cases.
Why This Matters
Over the last five years, genomic surveillance capacity in Africa has grown rapidly, bolstered by national commitments, Africa CDC initiatives and collaborative networks. Many institutions are ready—or nearly ready—to implement parasite and vector genomics, but capacity gaps persist, particularly in:
- Bioinformatics and data interpretation
- Quality control and variant analysis
- Data governance and reporting
- NMCP‑level integration of genomic insights into decision‑making
These two curated training collections directly support the next phase of MalariaGEN’s ambition: a decentralised, Africa‑led genomic surveillance ecosystem where countries generate, analyse and act upon their own data.
How to Use These Resources
Both spreadsheets are designed for easy filtering and sorting, enabling users to identify training based on:
- Parasite / vector / general genomics focus
- Beginner / intermediate / advanced level
- Virtual / hybrid / in‑person delivery
- Africa‑based vs global availability
- Accreditation and certificate options
Whether you’re setting up a sequencing lab, training new analysts, expanding a national surveillance team, or building a regional hub, these resources are ready to help you find the right training at the right level.
Next Steps
We encourage all MalariaGEN partners—especially NMCPs, national public‑health institutes, and new genomics labs—to explore these resources and incorporate them into training plans, grant applications, and workforce‑development strategies.
