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The event was organized by PulseNet Africa, a network dedicated to combating food- and waterborne diseases, and hosted at the Medical Research Council Unit the Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). The hands-on training approach—where scientists brought DNA from their own archived, previously unsequenced isolates and used these real samples to learn the complete workflow—proved exceptionally valuable," says Dr. Ebenezer Foster-Nyarko, a Research Fellow at LSHTM, Regional Co-Coordinator for PulseNet Africa and lead author of the study. The success of the 2024 workshop has already catalyzed significant developments in disease surveillance across Africa, "PulseNet Africa launched feasibility studies in January 2025 to enhance genomic monitoring of PulseNet pathogens, with particular emphasis on antimicrobial resistance," says Foster-Nyarko. "By building local expertise in genomic surveillance, African countries will have the tools and skills needed to independently monitor and respond to cholera and other foodborne pathogens, ultimately contributing to long-term improvements in public health systems across the continent.""