The presentation by WHO covers initiatives such as technical guidance, capacity building and facilitation of discussions about WGS and Foodborne Disease Surveillance. Presentation from the Joint FAO/WHO/OIE CAC 39 Side event - WGS and Food Safety, 28 June 2016, Rome, Italy.

1. WHO Activities:
Whole Genome Sequencing
and Foodborne Disease
Surveillance

2. Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, October 2015
WHO Approach
 Developing technical guidance
 Capacity building: WGS as part of systems
strengthening for FBD surveillance and outbreak response
– Building on IHR core capacities
– Joined up capacity building (no silos)
– Leveraging opportunities e.g. AMR
 Facilitating discussion: Creating opportunities for
developing countries to take part in global data sharing
discussions

3. Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, October 2015
Technical Guidance
Aim: To support countries utilize WGS to strengthen FBD
surveillance
 Horizon scanning paper (end 2016)
– WHO CCs and Partners
 Practical Guidance: Country road map for implementing WGS
– Expert meeting (October/November 2017)
 Inclusion of WGS in the FBD surveillance manual and the
update of the integrated surveillance of AMR guidance
 WHOCC to provide proficiency testing for WGS

4. Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, October 2015
Countries
starting to
use WGS as
a tool for
FBD
surveillance
and outbreak
response
WGS
routinely
used for
surveillance
along the
food chain

5. Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, October 2015
Capacity building
Aim: supporting countries to build sustainable FBD
surveillance
 Implementing national plans for building surveillance:
– WGS training courses (first course March 2016), Mentoring programs
 Next steps:
– Developing modules for:
• Countries at different levels of development
• Epidemiologists and Biostatics capacity development
 Pilot project: FDA WHO joint project in Argentina (ongoing)

6. Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, October 2015
Facilitating discussion
Aim: Opportunities for developing countries to take part
in global discussions
 INFOSAN Meeting October 2016
– To discuss the uptake, use and challenges of new or important
technologies in the work of INFOSAN members in managing
food safety events of an international nature

7. Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, October 2015
THANK YOU