A View on Genomic Medicine Activities in Africa: Implications for Policy

C Victor Jongeneel; Maritha J Kotze; Archana Bhaw-Luximon; Faisal M Fadlelmola; Yasmina J Fakim; Yosr Hamdi; Samar Kamal Kassim; Judit Kumuthini; Victoria Nembaware; Fouzia Radouani; Nicki Tiffin; Nicola Mulder

doi:10.3389/fgene.2022.769919

A View on Genomic Medicine Activities in Africa: Implications for Policy

Front Genet. 2022 Apr 27:13:769919. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.769919. eCollection 2022.

Authors

C Victor Jongeneel¹, Maritha J Kotze², Archana Bhaw-Luximon³, Faisal M Fadlelmola⁴, Yasmina J Fakim⁵, Yosr Hamdi^{6

7}, Samar Kamal Kassim⁸, Judit Kumuthini⁹, Victoria Nembaware¹⁰, Fouzia Radouani¹¹, Nicki Tiffin^{12

13}, Nicola Mulder^{12

13}

Affiliations

¹ Independent Consultant, Rolle, Switzerland.
² Division of Chemical Pathology, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University and National Health Laboratory Service, Tygerberg Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa.
³ Center for Biomedical and Biomaterials Research, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius.
⁴ Centre for Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Khartoum, Khartoum, Sudan.
⁵ Biotechnology Unit, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Mauritius, Reduit, Mauritius.
⁶ Laboratory of Biomedical Genomics and Oncogenetics, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Universite' Tunis El Manar, Tunis, Tunisia.
⁷ Laboratory of Human and Experimental Pathology, Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis, Tunisia.
⁸ Medical Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Ain Shams University and MASRI Research Institute, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁹ South African National Bioinformatics Institute (SANBI), Life Sciences Building, University of Western Cape (UWC), Cape Town, South Africa.
¹⁰ Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
¹¹ Chlamydiae and Mycoplasmas Laboratory, Research Department, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca, Morocco.
¹² Computational Biology Division, Department of Integrative Biomedical Sciences, IDM, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.
¹³ Wellcome CIDRI-Africa, University of Cape Town Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa.

Abstract

Genomics policy development involves assessing a wide range of issues extending from specimen collection and data sharing to whether and how to utilize advanced technologies in clinical practice and public health initiatives. A survey was conducted among African scientists and stakeholders with an interest in genomic medicine, seeking to evaluate: 1) Their knowledge and understanding of the field. 2) The institutional environment and infrastructure available to them. 3) The state and awareness of the field in their country. 4) Their perception of potential barriers to implementation of precision medicine. We discuss how the information gathered in the survey could instruct the policies of African institutions seeking to implement precision, and more specifically, genomic medicine approaches in their health care systems in the following areas: 1) Prioritization of infrastructures. 2) Need for translational research. 3) Information dissemination to potential users. 4) Training programs for specialized personnel. 5) Engaging political stakeholders and the public. A checklist with key requirements to assess readiness for implementation of genomic medicine programs is provided to guide the process from scientific discovery to clinical application.

Keywords: Africa; Pathology-supported genomics; capacity development; genomic medicine; infrastructure; precision medicine stakeholders; readiness checklist; translational research.

Grants and funding

MC_PC_MR/T037733/1/MRC_/Medical Research Council/United Kingdom