Wastewater metagenomics in Africa: Opportunities and challenges

Metagenomics has revolutionized understanding of microbial communities, particularly in wastewater. In Africa, wastewater metagenomics offers opportunities for public health monitoring, antimicrobial resistance tracking, and discovering new microbial species. High-throughput sequencing technologies allow for direct analysis of nucleic acids from wastewater samples, providing cost-effective pathogen surveillance. This method can revolutionize public health monitoring, especially in densely populated urban areas with poor sanitation. However, challenges include variability in wastewater composition, limited infrastructure, and socio-political issues. To overcome these, collaboration, investment, and robust data governance frameworks are needed.