African Genetic Diversity

African populations have high genetic diversity, distinct haplotypes and a greater likelihood of novel variants compared to European and Asian populations. Genotype imputation using the African Genome Resource has been shown to be the best reference panel for admixed South African populations. Current pharmacogenetic and pharmacokinetic evidence is heavily biased toward European and Asian populations. The whole genome sequencing subset will be selected to maximise genetic diversity and capture KhoeSan, Damara, Ovambo, Tswana and Herero ancestry. The Khoe-San population is recognised as one of the most genetically diverse populations globally and may carry population-specific variants relevant to TB drug response.