Enhancing Health Innovation through Sustainable African Data and Biospecimen Oversight: H3Africa DBAC and Round-Up Efforts

H3Africa, funded by NIH(USA) and Wellcome(UK) transformed the genomics landscape in Africa with scientific, infrastructural, and governance advancements. The H3ABioNet and regional biorepositories, supported research in 30 countries and trained numerous postgraduates. H3Africa’s genomic analysis of previously upsampled African populations uncovered >3 million new genetic variants, highlighting the immense diversity of the African genome. Despite Africans accounting for only 2.4% of the GWAS Catalog, they contribute to 7% of reported genetic associations, underscoring the need to expand African genome representation in public databases. High-quality African genome sequences enable deeper investigations into human evolution, migration patterns, and the genetic underpinnings of health and disease, ultimately advancing more equitable and effective genomic medicine globally. The H3Africa Steering Committee developed policies and established the Data and Biospecimen Access Committee(DBAC) to oversee access to African genomic data and biospecimens. The DBAC expertise is a critical resource. Initiatives like PAGRA and AGENDA, H3Africa offshoots, aim to expand African data/biospecimen repositories. Continued support for H3Africa SC/DBAC is crucial over the next five years to maximize the impact of genomics and realize the promise of global genomic medicine. Solidifying partnerships with emerging initiatives including AGDH/ABI/GenCoE, and DS-I Africa is essential for the sustainability of African genomics expertise.