Driving Public Health Insights: A Transformative Approach to Disease Surveillance

Genesis partnered with the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) on a landmark household cohort study in South Africa, central to the country’s efforts to monitor vaccine-preventable illnesses and shape national immunisation policy. From 2022 to 2025, Genesis led the SARS-CoV-2 and Multi-pathogen Serosurveillance (SAMS) longitudinal study, bringing deep expertise in data collection, management, and quality assurance to a complex, multi-year research programme.

The study was implemented across Gauteng and the Eastern Cape in its initial phases (SAMS1–3), with later phases (SAMS4–5) concentrated in Gauteng. Genesis successfully managed a cohort of 1,500 participants per province, conducting follow-ups at two key seasonal time points each year. The study collected detailed data on vaccination and illness history, anthropometric measurements, and blood samples, which were analysed using a novel multi-pathogen immunoassay. This advanced tool enabled simultaneous assessment of seroprevalence for SARS-CoV-2, as well as measles, rubella, pertussis, diphtheria, influenza, RSV, hepatitis A, and hepatitis E, offering a comprehensive picture of immunity across multiple vaccine-preventable diseases.

For SAMS4 and SAMS5, Genesis introduced a next-generation data ecosystem that dramatically improved operational efficiency and data integrity. By embedding logic checks and automated quality controls directly into digital data collection forms, we eliminated common errors at source, enabled real-time monitoring, and significantly accelerated the data cleaning process. Our fully integrated system allowed for automated reporting, dashboard generation, and continuous oversight, ensuring that the final dataset was clean, complete, and ready for immediate use.

Through this rigorous and forward-thinking approach, Genesis delivered a high-quality, consolidated dataset that NICD can rely on to inform critical public health decisions. In so doing, we not only reinforced confidence in the evidence base underpinning national vaccination strategies but also created a durable, scalable surveillance platform with long-term impact.