Additionally, respondents noted that work in this area was delayed by slow approval procedures for phase I clinical trials. Notably, the Israeli Ministry of Health has recently set up a national advisory committee to undertake a technology needs assessment and options appraisal for the application of genomic technologies, including next-generation sequencing, to advance public health initiatives efforts in the area of infectious diseases. A strategic plan for capacity building, focusing on implementation of NGS platforms and human resource development, is now pending approval.