Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 May 2;110(6):1279-1284.
doi: 10.4269/ajtmh.23-0808. Print 2024 Jun 5.

Application of Genomic Medicine in Africa: 14th Conference of the African Society of Human Genetics and the 2nd International Congress of the Moroccan Society of Genomics and Human Genetics, Rabat, Morocco 2022

Meryem Fakhkhari  1 , Ikram Salih  1 , Najwa Maazaz  1   2 , Victoria Nembaware  3 , Nchangwi Syntia Munung  3 , Alice Matimba  4 , Sanaa Chala  5 , Ahmed Belmouden  6 , Karon Chappell  4 , Leon Mutesa  7   8 , Ghada El-Kamah  9 , Hicham Oumzil  10 , Larbi Baassi  11 , Younes Abbas  12 , Mohamed Zahir Alimohamed  13   14   15 , Michele Ramsay  16 , Scott Williams  17 , Karim Benabdellah  18 , Youssef Idaghdour  19 , Ambroise Wonkam  3   20 , Khalid Sadki  1
Affiliations

Application of Genomic Medicine in Africa: 14th Conference of the African Society of Human Genetics and the 2nd International Congress of the Moroccan Society of Genomics and Human Genetics, Rabat, Morocco 2022

Meryem Fakhkhari et al. Am J Trop Med Hyg. .

Abstract

The 14th African Society of Human Genetics (AfSHG) Morocco Meeting and 2nd International Congress of the Moroccan Society of Genomics and Human Genetics (SM2GH), held in Rabat, Morocco, from December 12 through 17, 2022, brought together 298 attendees from 23 countries, organized by the AfSHG in collaboration with the SM2GH. The conference's overarching theme was "Applications of Genomics Medicine in Africa," covering a wide range of topics, including population genetics, genetics of infectious diseases, hereditary disorders, cancer genetics, and translational genetics. The conference aimed to address the lag in the field of genetics in Africa and highlight the potential for genetic research and personalized medicine on the continent. The goal was to improve the health of African populations and global communities while nurturing the careers of young African scientists in the field. Distinguished scientists from around the world shared their recent findings in genetics, immunogenetics, genomics, genome editing, immunotherapy, and ethics genomics. Precongress activities included a 2-day bioinformatics workshop, "NGS Analysis for Monogenic Disease in African Populations," and a Young Investigators Forum, providing opportunities for young African researchers to showcase their work. The vast genetic diversity of the African continent poses a significant challenge in investigating and characterizing public health issues at the genetic and functional levels. Training, research, and the development of expertise in genetics, immunology, genomics, and bioinformatics are vital for addressing these challenges and advancing genetics in Africa. The AfSHG is committed to leading efforts to enhance genetic research, coordinate training, and foster research collaborations on the continent.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: A. Matiba and K. Chappell are employed by the Wellcome Connecting Science, a funder based in the United Kingdom; however, no Wellcome funds have contributed to this publication. The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Country Member African Societies of Human Genetics that are part of the African Society of Human Genetics (https://www.afshg.org/about/member-societies/).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Distribution of 298 participants based on their country of origin.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Boer CG. et al., 2021. Deciphering osteoarthritis genetics across 826,690 individuals from 9 populations. Cell 184: 4784–4818.e17. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Auffray C, Charron D, Hood L, 2010. Predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory medicine: Back to the future. Genome Med 2: 57. - PMC - PubMed
    1. McGuire AL. et al., 2020. The road ahead in genetics and genomics. Nat Rev Genet 21: 581–596. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Ceballos FC. et al., 2020. Autozygosity influences cardiometabolic disease-associated traits in the AWI-Gen sub-Saharan African study. Nat Commun 11: 5754. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lucas-Sánchez M, Serradell JM, Comas D, 2021. Population history of North Africa based on modern and ancient genomes. Hum Mol Genet 30: R17–R23. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources