Efficient detection of TB and Hepatitis C (Health and
wellbeing) By Professor Abdeladim Moumen and Dr.
Hassan Ait Benhassou (Morocco)Professor Abdeladim Moumen is head of Research and
Development (R&D) at the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced
Science, Innovation and Research (MAScIR) leading the
development of innovative molecular diagnostic medical tests.
He has a PhD in Biomedical Sciences from the Pasteur Institute
of Paris, France, and was Research Associate at the Wellcome
Trust-Gurdon Institute, Cambridge University (UK) as well as an
Associate Professor at the University of London (UK).
Dr. Hassan Ait Benhassou heads the Tuberculosis Program at the
Medical Biotechnology Centre of MAScIR. He received his PhD
degree in Immunology from the Faculty of Pharmacy of Reims
(France) and his MBA from the URCA University (France). He
previously held a position of scientist at the Research and
Development Institute (Montpellier/Rabat) and a position of
Research Associate at the Faculty of Medicine of Reims.
Hepatitis C and Tuberculosis (TB) are critical health burdens in
Africa. Besides lack of available treatment, access to accurate
and cost-effective diagnostic tests remain a challenge across the
continent. This innovation comprises two molecular tests for the
rapid, accurate and effective detection and load quantification of
both diseases. The sensitivity and specificity of both tests are
higher than current molecular test in the market, thus reducing
by half the time needed to perform the PCR reaction. These
innovations are 3 to 5 times less expensive than current tests in
the market.