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Innovative Medicines & Omics Open source bioinformatics tools in Africa

for diseases such as malaria and TB, leading to improved Funding
diagnostics and targeted treatments. Strengthening
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bioinformatics training and encouraging collaboration None.
with international partners will be key to building local Conflict of interest
expertise and ensuring long-term success. With the right
resources, African researchers can significantly contribute The author declares no conflicts of interest.
to global science while addressing pressing local health
issues. 67 Author contributions
This is a single-authored article.
5. Conclusion
Open-source bioinformatics tools are game-changers for Ethics approval and consent to participate
genomics research and healthcare across Africa, especially Not applicable.
in regions with limited resources. Tools such as GISAID,
Nextstrain, and Bioconductor empower local scientists to Consent for publication
address urgent health issues, track infectious diseases, and Not applicable.
explore drug discovery without purchasing proprietary
software. For researchers on the front lines, these tools Availability of data
are useful and essential. The response to outbreaks such
as Ebola and COVID-19 has shown how transformative Not applicable.
open-source platforms can be, boosting local capacity and References
innovation.
1. De Villiers E, Smith J, Adewale P, et al. The impact of limited
However, challenges persist. Infrastructure, reliable
internet access, and computational power can be scarce. computational resources on bioinformatics in Africa.
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These challenges are not just technical issues, but the
reality limiting progress. However, there is potential for doi: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2021.107611
improvement through Starlink’s rollout in various African 2. Masiga DK, Ouma JO, Okoth S, et al. Addressing
countries. With improved connectivity, even in remote bioinformatics capacity gaps in sub-Saharan Africa. Nat
areas, researchers can access bioinformatics tools more Biotechnol. 2020;38(9):999-1002.
easily and foster better international collaboration. This doi: 10.1038/s41587-020-0695-4
advancement is beyond the context of internet access; it is
about breaking down barriers literally and figuratively to 3. Tekle Y, Abebe E, Nega B, et al. Computational tools in
foster new ideas and innovation. antimicrobial resistance research: Applications in Africa.
Microb Genom. 2022;8(3):000750.
However, there is another big challenge: data. African-
specific data is still underrepresented in global databases, doi: 10.1099/mgen.0.000750
such as the PDB. It offers invaluable protein structure 4. Achidi EA, Mbanya D, Tangwa GB, et al. Strengthening
information, but the continent’s contributions remain bioinformatics capacity for genomics research in Africa.
limited. It is crucial to have more African representation PLoS Comput Biol. 2019;15(4):e1006753.
in these databases, with research that truly reflects and doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006753
addresses Africa’s unique health challenges. 5. Juma C, Njeri R, Mwangi P, et al. Overcoming barriers to
In conclusion, open-source bioinformatics holds bioinformatics adoption in Africa: A policy perspective. Afr
immense potential for Africa. However, realizing that J Sci. 2022;18(3):231-250.
potential will require tackling infrastructure gaps, investing 6. Nanfack A, Tchamga P, Fokunang C, et al. Sustainable
in local training, and encouraging contributions to global strategies for advancing bioinformatics research in Africa.
databases. With continued support and better access to PLoS Comput Biol. 2021;17(6):e1008974.
these tools, the future of bioinformatics in Africa is hopeful doi: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1008974
and promising. This could lead to potential breakthroughs
emerging locally to address some of the continent’s most 7. Okello D, Adebayo A, Kamau G, et al. Machine learning
pressing health issues. approaches for drug repurposing in Africa. BMC
Bioinformatics. 2021;22(1):302.
Acknowledgments doi: 10.1186/s12859-021-04197-3
None. 8. Ibrahim ME, Zekri AR, El-Khairy L, et al. Recommendations

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