Implementation of a SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance network as a strategy to face other health challenges in Peru

We present a complete description of the implementation of SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance during the COVID-19 pandemic in Peru, and the impact of applying this technology to other pathogens important for the country's public health. This aims to highlight the achievements, challenges, and lessons learned that allow for strengthening the response to current and future health challenges at the national level, as well as public health decisions. With the genomic surveillance initiative led by the National Institute of Health, 48,691 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from all regions of the country have been sequenced from 2020 to 2024, achieving the identification of eight variants of the virus and the designation of 25 new lineages within the Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants. Genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 has allowed for the timely identification of variants of epidemiological interest, monitoring the evolution of the virus in real-time, and using this information as a tool for public health decision-making. This experience subsequently provided the basis for monitoring other pathogens that have caused health emergencies in Peru and the world, such as dengue, influenza, and mpox.