Less than 3% of the genetic materials utilized in global pharmaceutical research originate from Africa, a stark figure given that the continent possesses a uniquely diverse genetic pool unparalleled worldwide. This significant disparity prompted the African genomics start-up 54Gene to launch in 2019, aiming to bridge this crucial divide. The company has since achieved considerable success, securing $45 million in funding from various investors and establishing itself at the forefront of global genetic research.

To further its mission of bringing precision medicine to Africa and the global population, 54Gene has strategically partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS). This collaboration is central to correcting the geographical imbalance in global genomics data. Francis Osifo, Vice President of 54Gene, highlights that while developed countries often have extensive sequenced genomics databases, developing nations, particularly in Africa, suffer from a severe lack of datasets. This gap is critical to address, especially as genomics plays an increasing role in scientific understanding, as evidenced by its importance in comprehending the SARS-CoV-2 virus, to ensure discoveries are universally relevant.

54Gene's core objective is to rectify this inequity through its health technology platform, now powered by AWS. The company is actively building diverse datasets to accelerate scientific discoveries in genomics and improve diagnostic and treatment outcomes both within Africa and globally. Osifo explains that the ancient migration of modern humans from Africa created a “bottleneck effect,” leaving behind immense genetic diversity on the continent, yet less than 3% of genomic data in research represents African populations. He affirms 54Gene's commitment to pioneering the inclusion of the African genome in research, envisioning a world where precision medicine is equalized and accessible to all, leading to longer lives.

Robin Njiru, Business Lead for East & West Africa at AWS, emphasized AWS's extensive experience in healthcare and medical research, noting its role in powering significant innovations. He sees 54Gene as a breakthrough, particularly given the COVID-19 pandemic's demonstration of genomic sequencing's importance. A continental data gap, he notes, is a massive barrier to ensuring innovations are relevant in an African context. AWS is expanding its support for companies like 54Gene that strive to bridge such gaps and foster innovations pertinent to the African continent and its people.

54Gene's Genomics Infrastructure & Insights Ecosystem (GENIISYSTM) platform collects highly curated genomic, clinical, and phenotypic data. This data forms the basis for deriving insights that drive innovative medicines and diagnostics, with assets from GENIISYSTM expected to enhance global healthcare. Despite its leading position in this technology, 54Gene initially faced challenges in finding a cloud provider that could robustly support its ecosystem through every stage of growth. Osifo lauded AWS's high configurability, robust support, impressive uptime, and its comprehensive solutions for every problem.

The deployment of AWS services was completed within three weeks, enabling 54Gene to efficiently implement, deploy, and manage all its internal and external solutions. This rapid integration resulted in increased efficiencies and reduced costs almost immediately, while maintaining a seamless experience for end-users. Osifo concluded that 54Gene can now deliver its best output and product, remaining future-proof. He affirmed, “AWS is a perfect fit for our business. It addresses our core needs, allowing us to leverage both the infrastructure, support and technical capabilities as we grow.” The company utilizes cutting-edge AWS infrastructure and support to provide a robust, scalable, and reliable experience across its products, ensuring Africa and its people are represented in future genomic scientific developments. The deployed AWS services include FSX, Amazon ECR, Amazon Fargate, Amazon RDS Aurora MySQL, EC2, Route 53, S3, ACM, VPC, IAM, SES, WAF, Cognito, GuardDuty, Lambda, MSK, Secrets Manager, Security Hub, SQS, SNS, KMS, Amplify, CloudWatch, and CloudTrail.