Translational Oncology (Jun 2024)

A regionally based precision medicine implementation initiative in North Africa:The PerMediNA consortium

  • Yosr Hamdi,
  • Maroua Boujemaa,
  • Jihenne Ben Aissa-Haj,
  • Fouzia Radouani,
  • Meriem Khyatti,
  • Najah Mighri,
  • Mariem Hannachi,
  • Kais Ghedira,
  • Oussema Souiai,
  • Chaima Hkimi,
  • Mohamed Selim Kammoun,
  • Nesrine Mejri,
  • Hanen Bouaziz,
  • Mohamed Amine Beloufa,
  • Hicham Charoute,
  • Abdelhamid Barakat,
  • Imène Najjar,
  • Hiroaki Taniguchi,
  • Natalia Pietrosemoli,
  • Koussay Dellagi,
  • Sonia Abdelhak,
  • Mohamed Samir Boubaker,
  • Claudia Chica,
  • Etienne Rouleau,
  • Abdellatif benider,
  • Adil El-hamouchi,
  • AIT YOUNES Sonia,
  • Alia Ben Kahla,
  • AMIMER Abdelmalik,
  • AMIR Zine, charif,
  • Amira Jaballah,
  • Amira Louiza,
  • Amina GIHBID,
  • BACHIR Achouak,
  • BELABDI Djihad,
  • BELHADEF Said,
  • BELNOUI Rafika,
  • Belarbi Ayed,
  • Benchakroune Nadia,
  • Benchakroun Nadia,
  • BENINAL Meriem,
  • BENKALI Radja,
  • BENSIHAMDI Asma,
  • BENYOUCEF Hichem,
  • BENDIMRED Thouraya,
  • Bensouf Nadir,
  • BENNOUI Rafika,
  • Berrazegua Yosra,
  • Biskri Latefa,
  • BOUAOUNI Saida,
  • BOUANIKA Meriem,
  • Bouamra Abderezzak,
  • Bouaziz Hanen,
  • Boudinar Fatma Zohra,
  • Bouhara Sabrina,
  • Boussouf Nadir,
  • Boutayeb Saber,
  • BOUNEDJAR Adda,
  • Chabati Omar,
  • Charfeddine Cherine,
  • Chilla Dalia,
  • Chiraz Mehemmai,
  • Cyrine Bouabid,
  • Dahnane Souad,
  • DIAB Soraya,
  • Dib Hocine Adlane,
  • Dorra Wider,
  • DERRAR Fawzi,
  • ELKEBOUB Amina,
  • EL ATTAR Hicham,
  • EL FAHIME Elmostafa,
  • ELHADEF Djazia,
  • Emna Fehri,
  • Farid Hakkou,
  • Farida Hadjam,
  • Fanny Mamboisse,
  • GAIS Widad,
  • GHARNAOUT Merzak,
  • Guessoum Amir Nidhal,
  • HADJAM Farida,
  • HADJ SAHRAOUI,
  • Haifa Rachdi,
  • Hamza Yaiche,
  • HANNACHI Leila,
  • Hassan Mahfouf,
  • Hend Bouguerra,
  • Hicham El Attar,
  • Hichem Ben Hassine,
  • Houda Filali,
  • Houda Harmak,
  • Houda Kanaane,
  • Ichrak Benamri,
  • Imane El Alami,
  • KASSA Reda,
  • Karima Bendahhou,
  • Khaoula Errafii,
  • Khalid El Bairi,
  • Khaali Wafaa,
  • KARKOURI Mehdi,
  • Kabbage Maria,
  • Kammoun Wafa,
  • Kanaane Houda,
  • Kassa Reda,
  • LAOUAR Narimane,
  • Latefa Biskri,
  • Louiza Amira,
  • Louise Marie,
  • Charion Chevalier,
  • MALOUM Nabila,
  • Marc Monot,
  • Mariem Saadi,
  • Mario Campone,
  • Mehdi Mrad,
  • MEHDI KARKOURI,
  • MELIZI Mohamed,
  • Meriem Saadi,
  • Meriem CHAHER,
  • Monia Ardhaoui,
  • Mourad TALEB,
  • Nadia Ben Jmiaa,
  • Nadia Benchakroun,
  • Najet Hadhri,
  • Nawel SALHI,
  • Nezha Taoufiq,
  • Nouha Jandoubi,
  • OUAHIOUNE Wahiba,
  • OULDSLIMANE Salima,
  • Rafika BELNOUI,
  • Rahman Amira Louiza,
  • Rym Benkhalifa,
  • Saber Boutaib,
  • Saber Boutayeb,
  • Samia Menif,
  • Salima OULDSLIMANE,
  • Samuel Valcke,
  • SLIMANI Assia,
  • Sonia Ben Nasr,
  • Sonia Maatoug,
  • Sonia Ait Younes,
  • Souad BENCHEHIDA,
  • Souad BEKOUACI,
  • Souha Sahraoui,
  • Tali Maamar Hassiba,
  • Talha Soraya,
  • TALEB Mourad,
  • TERKMANI Fella,
  • TALHA Soraya,
  • TOUISI Wassila,
  • Wafa Kammoun,
  • Wahiba OUAHIOUNE,
  • Yosra Berrazegua,
  • ZEMMOUR Amel,
  • ZEROUAL Sarah,
  • Zine Charif AMIR,
  • Zineb Zouafi

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 44
p. 101940

Abstract

Read online

Precision Medicine is being increasingly used in the developed world to improve health care. While several Precision Medicine (PM) initiatives have been launched worldwide, their implementations have proven to be more challenging particularly in low- and middle-income countries. To address this issue, the “Personalized Medicine in North Africa” initiative (PerMediNA) was launched in three North African countries namely Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. PerMediNA is coordinated by Institut Pasteur de Tunis together with the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, with the support of Institut Pasteur in France. The project is carried out along with Institut Pasteur d’Algérie and Institut Pasteur du Maroc in collaboration with national and international leading institutions in the field of PM including Institut Gustave Roussy in Paris. PerMediNA aims to assess the readiness level of PM implementation in North Africa, to strengthen PM infrastructure, to provide workforce training, to generate genomic data on North African populations, to implement cost effective, affordable and sustainable genetic testing for cancer patients and to inform policy makers on how to translate research knowledge into health products and services. Gender equity and involvement of young scientists in this implementation process are other key goals of the PerMediNA project.In this paper, we are describing PerMediNA as the first PM implementation initiative in North Africa. Such initiatives contribute significantly in shortening existing health disparities and inequities between developed and developing countries and accelerate access to innovative treatments for global health.

Keywords