Event highlights
On 4 September 2026, 41 participants joined an online information-exchange webinar examining how genomic data can be transformed into effective public health action.
The webinar was organized under the European Union-funded project “Strengthening national capacities against COVID-19 and other public health emergencies”, implemented by the General Directorate of Public Health of the Ministry of Health of Türkiye, with the technical support of the WHO Country Office in Türkiye.
Dr Emma Hodcroft, Assistant Professor at the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute and the University of Basel, delivered a presentation titled “From sequence to action: genomics, metadata and open sharing”.
The session was moderated by Dr Gültekin Ünal, National Professional Officer for Laboratories at the WHO Country Office in Türkiye, and Dr Belkıs Levent, Specialist Physician at the National Reference Laboratory for Enteric Pathogens, Directorate of Microbiology Reference Laboratories and Biological Products, General Directorate of Public Health.
The session explored the importance of supporting sequence data with accurate metadata, the role of reliable databases in genomic surveillance, and the open and responsible sharing of data. International experiences and examples of good practice were also discussed.
A practical demonstration of pathoplexus.org showed participants how genomic data can be shared through the platform, translating the principles of open and responsible data sharing into practice.
By strengthening participants’ understanding of how high-quality metadata adds context and value to genomic information – and how the responsible, open sharing of these data can accelerate collaboration – the webinar supported broader efforts to translate sequence data into timely public health intelligence and strengthen genomic surveillance capacity in Türkiye.