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, Kaïs 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, Abdellatif Benider, Adil El-hamouchi, AIT YOUNES Sonia, Alia Ben Kahla, AMIMER Abdelmalik, AMIR Zine, A. Jaballah-Gabteni, Amira Louiza, Amina Gihbid, BACHIR Achouak, BELABDI Djihad, BELHADEF Said, BELNOUI Rafika, B. Ben Ayed, Benchakroune Nadia, Nadia Benchakroun, 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, Saber Boutayeb, BOUNEDJAR Adda, Chabati Omar, Charfeddine Cherine, C. 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, H Sahraoui, Haifa Rachdi, H. Yaïche, HANNACHI Leila, Hassan Mahfouf, Hend Bouguerra, H. 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, Mehdi Karkouri, Kabbage Maria, Kammoun Wafa, Kanaane Houda, Kassa Reda, LAOUAR Narimane, Latéfa Biskri
Abstract
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.