Disease outbreaks have both immediate and long-lasting impacts on communities. The COVID-19 pandemic has shown us the consequences of limited public health infrastructure on a global scale. However, we see this as an opportunity to not only address existing gaps, but to empower  West Africa with state of the art technology, capacity, and infrastructure to leapfrog current disease surveillance approaches.

 

For nearly a decade, our team has collaborated to develop transformative surveillance and sequencing technologies, invest in local response capacity in under-resourced areas, respond to public health emergencies, and train African researchers and scientists.

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Sentinel aims to empower the next generation of frontline responders with the tools, technology, and training needed to prevent the next pandemic.​ Sentinel has been able to address immediate needs for robust disease surveillance and sequencing capacity in West Africa. The framework is designed to be adaptable to a changing pathogen landscape, responsive to the need on the ground,  and for future deployment in other regions as needs arise. 

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There will be another pandemic virus in our lifetimes—it may already be here, but our work is about more than stopping disease outbreaks. By empowering people and equipping them with the tools, the system, and the knowledge needed, we create strong and resilient communities for generations to come. Sentinel is about partnership, solidarity, and most importantly, hope!