‘More Than Meets the Eye: Hidden Epidemics in Africa and the Power of Multi-Pathogen Serosurveillance’
This talk is for PSI staff and students. Members of the University who are not at the PSI are welcome to join, but please contact us beforehand to let us know (events.psi@ndm.ox.ac.uk).
We are delighted to host Dr. Anthony Afum-Adjei Awuah, the Deputy Research Group Leader of the Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Group at the Kumasi Centre for Collaborative Research in Tropical Medicine (KCCR), Ghana. Dr. Awuah will share findings from their team’s ongoing seroprevalence studies of WHO priority pathogens (Marburg, other filovirus and monkeypox) in Ghana, highlighting the role of multi-pathogen serosurveillance in pandemic preparedness and outbreak response.

The seminar will take place from 13:00 to 14:00 in the lecture theatre A&B Centre for Human Genetics, followed by lunch and networking from 14:00 to 15:00.

Abstract
Serosurveillance plays a crucial role in understanding population immunity, tracking pathogen transmission, and guiding strategic decisions for pandemic preparedness and outbreak response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Awuah and his team initiated a household-based seroprevalence survey in three African countries to address gaps in testing and tracking systems. The survey revealed high SARS-CoV-2 exposure levels across the surveyed regions, highlighting the challenge of asymptomatic transmission and the need to monitor non-severe cases.

Building on this, the team expanded their focus to multi-pathogen serosurveillance, using the COVID-19 biobank to investigate other pathogens, including dengue and arboviruses, which share clinical similarities with COVID-19 and malaria. This work revealed endemic circulation of arboviruses across Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Senegal, with significant geographic and pathogen-specific variations. Strikingly, over 70% of samples with anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies also tested positive for pan-anti-arbovirus antibodies, raising questions about historical co-circulation, cross-reactivity, and implications for future vaccine programs. They are currently leveraging the insights, capacity, and experiences gained from the multi-pathogen serosurveillance initiative to investigate the seroprevalence of Marburg, other filovirus and monkeypox in Ghana. Their goal is to extend this initiative to other African countries to monitor and assess the public health risks associated with arbovirus and filovirus infections.

Biography
Dr. Anthony Afum-Adjei Awuah is the Deputy Research Group Leader of the Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Group at KCCR and a Faculty Member at KNUST, where he serves as the Postgraduate Coordinator for the Department of Molecular Medicine. Dr. Awuah’s career spans extensive work in clinical research, pandemic preparedness, outbreak response, and community-based studies. He has led seroprevalence studies on WHO-priority pathogens, contributing to the evidence base for public health interventions across Africa. As Lead Scientific Officer of the African Research Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases (ARNTD) and a member of ALERRT, Dr. Awuah plays a pivotal role in collaborative efforts to combat infectious diseases. His contributions include clinical trials, capacity-building initiatives, and mentorship programs such as the Skills for Excellence in Science Series (SEXISS), which trains the next generation of African biomedical researchers.
Date: 25 February 2025, 13:00
Venue: Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Headington OX3 7BN
Venue Details: Lecture Theatre A&B, Centre for Human Genetics
Speaker: Anthony Afum-Adjei Awuah (Global Health and Infectious Disease Research Group at KCCR in KNUST)
Organising department: Nuffield Department of Clinical Medicine
Organisers: Jana Lipcakova (University of Oxford), James Hay (Wellcome Trust Early Career Fellow), Ksenia Ananyeva (University of Oxford)
Organiser contact email address: events.psi@ndm.ox.ac.uk
Part of: Pandemic Sciences Institute seminar series
Booking required?: Required
Booking url: https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPkfqJsIz1OHtImXkbS9R4tRRUQVJEWldER0MwOE9LMVVKQ1lBNjdYNlI5MS4u
Cost: Free
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Ksenia Ananyeva