Overview
The H2Seq project, funded by the Australian Government's Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), aims to revolutionise the public health response to human immunodeficiency-1 (HIV) and Hepatitis C (HCV) infections in Australia through pathogen genomics. This initiative seeks to develop a national system for the genomic sequencing of HIV and HCV to enable 'near real-time' molecular epidemiology to identify new or growing clusters and to inform targeted public health responses to underpin elimination of these infections by 2030 in alignment with WHO goals.
Objectives
National network establishment: Creation of a national network including molecular virology labs, public health units, and community partners, focusing on governance of surveillance systems for secure data handling of de-identified viral sequences and public health metadata.
Analysis systems development and deployment: Bioinformatic pipeline creation for integrated traditional and molecular epidemiological analysis of HIV and HCV, training material development, and national trend reporting to inform policies.
Diagnostic capability enhancement: Implementation of optimal genome sequencing and a quality assurance program in labs for molecular epidemiology analysis for HIV and HCV.
Intervention evaluation: Efficacy and cost-effectiveness analysis of genomic data-driven public health interventions, including public health facilitation, impact evaluation, mathematical modelling, and economic benefit analysis.
Impact
H2Seq is set to enable targeted public health interventions through rapid identification of trends in virus spread and transmitted drug resistance, aiding Australia's goal to eliminate HIV and HCV transmission.