A milestone in public health and disease surveillance: Fiji launches Pathogen Genomics Laboratory

In a major advancement in public health in the Pacific, Fiji has launched its Pathogen Genomics Laboratory. The state-of-the-art facility, based at the Fiji Centre for Disease Control, marks a historic milestone in the country’s ability to rapidly detect, characterize, and respond to infectious disease threats - from antimicrobial-resistant bacteria to viral diseases like influenza, COVID-19 and mpox.

Imagine being able to read the unique "fingerprint" of a virus or bacteria - knowing not only what it is, but where it came from, and how it's spreading. That’s what genomic sequencing does. It decodes the genetic blueprint of pathogens in extraordinary detail, giving scientists and public health responders a powerful tool to detect outbreaks earlier, understand how diseases are transmitted, and take faster, smarter actions to protect communities.

“With pathogen genomics, Fiji moves into a new era of public health, better protecting our people today and future generations tomorrow,” said Honorable Penioni Ravunawa, Assistant Minister for Health and Medical Services during a speech at the launch of the laboratory on 7 May. “This laboratory provides Fiji with real-time, in-country laboratory intelligence to protect public health and the economy.”

Importance of building in-country capacities

Pathogen genomics shifts healthcare from reactive to proactive. For example in 2023, sequencing conducted abroad supported Fiji’s response to a complex, multi-species outbreak of carbapenem-resistant organisms. These bacteria, resistant to a class of antibiotics often used as a last resort to treat serious infections, spread quickly in hospitals and lead to longer hospital stays, higher medical costs, and increased mortality. Genomic analysis enabled early detection and tracking, improving infection prevention and control. A newly established in-country laboratory now provides this critical capability locally, saving time and costs associated with international specimen referral.

“The ability to conduct genomic sequencing in-country marks a major step forward in public health,” said Sophie Genay-Diliautas, Deputy WHO Representative to the South Pacific during the launch. “The burden of antimicrobial resistance and other diseases continues to challenge health systems across the Pacific. That is why WHO, together with our partners, works closely with Fiji’s Ministry of Health and Medical Services to support this journey,” she continued, mentioning WHO’s provision of whole genome sequencing equipment in 2023, previous training efforts, and the upcoming 2025 mentorship and training programmes, including in mpox genomic sequencing.

^{Staff of Fiji Centre for Disease Control with guests during the launch of the laboratory. (Ministry of Health and Medical Services/M. Katonivualiku)}

Collaborating for impact

Since the launch of molecular testing mainly focused on confirming presence of diseases such as COVID-19 in 2020, Fiji Centre for Disease Control worked with WHO, the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Pacific Community (SPC), the Doherty Institute in Melbourne (which includes the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory (VIDRL), and the WHO Collaborating Centre for Antimicrobial Resistance), to strengthen this capacity, culminating in the successful launch of in-country genomic sequencing.

“We are proud to work with such a dedicated and skilled team in Fiji. While this is the launch of the laboratory, it is, in fact, the launch of new partnerships - with clinicians, laboratory staff, and researchers to generate evidence that will benefit not just Fiji, but the entire Pacific,” said Professor Ben Howden, Director of the Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory at the Doherty Institute.

The launch also contributes to the WHO Western Pacific Region’s vision to equip 70% of Member States with in-country sequencing capacity by 2030. With Fiji’s progress, the region now moves from 48% to 52%—a notable leap toward that goal.