A Stellenbosch University (SU) professor recently won an award for an initiative addressing inequalities in genetic healthcare.
Professor Shahida Moosa, head of medical genetics at Tygerberg Hospital and professor of medical genetics at SU, said she won the National Science and Technology Forum-South African Medical Research Council (NSTF-SAMRC) Clinician-Scientist Award on 31 July for her Genomics for Health in Africa initiative.
Professor Shahida Moosa, head of medical genetics at Tygerberg Hospital and professor of medical genetics at Stellenbosch University, at the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) award ceremony, where she won the NSTF-SAMRC (South African Medical Research Council) Clinician-Scientist Award. “This award is an affirmation that the years of balancing the heavy, and often isolating, dual load of clinical care and research in rare diseases, often with minimal support, have been worth it,” said Moosa, in correspondence with SMF News. PHOTO: Supplied/Facebook/Stellenbosch University
‘Never left behind’
“[The] Genomics for Health in Africa initiative is pioneering an approach that is rooted in, and tailored for, the realities of sub-Saharan Africa, where there are currently no large-scale precision medicine programmes,” said Moosa, in correspondence with SMF News.
The focus of the project is on diagnosing rare and inherited conditions in African patients, who are often underrepresented in global genomic databases, she said.
The project has established a collaborative network of clinicians, scientists, and patient advocates across the country and the region, said Moosa, adding that this network ensures that rare-disease patients in Southern Africa are not isolated, but part of a community where they can access proper healthcare.
The award is a significant acknowledgement of the importance of applying world-class genomics to benefit African patients, said Moosa.
“It inspires me to keep mentoring the next generation so that our continent’s most vulnerable are never left behind,” she added.
An explanation of genomics and the impact of the Genomics for Health in Africa initiative, according to Shahida Moosa, head of medical genetics at Tygerberg Hospital and professor of medical genetics at Stellenbosch University. “Our work integrates cutting-edge genomics with deep local clinical expertise, ensuring that African patients are represented in genomic databases and that their unique genetic variation is understood,” said Moosa, in correspondence with SMF News. INFOGRAPHIC: Aubrey Phungo
‘Continent-wide initiative’
The initiative’s next move involves expanding Genomics for Health in Africa from a “proof of concept into a sustainable, continent-wide initiative”, said Moosa.
The expansion of the initiative will include providing “clinical genomics, sequencing, and bioinformatics capacity to more African countries, integrating precision medicine into routine clinical public healthcare and ensuring equitable access for all patients, regardless of geography or resources”, she explained.
The NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award was first introduced three years ago, according to professor Liesl Zühlke, the current vice-president of extramural research and internal portfolio at SAMRC, who established the award.
Zühlke said that they are very proud of the three recipients who have won the award since its inception.
“[They] have truly brought impact and excellence to the NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award, and [we] believe they will each continue to impact patients, families, and communities for a long time to come,” said Zühlke, in correspondence with SMF News.
Professor Shahida Moosa, head of medical genetics at Tygerberg Hospital and professor of medical genetics at Stellenbosch University, recently won a National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) award for her Genomics for Health in Africa project. “We have built a collaborative network of clinicians, scientists, and patient advocates across the country and the region,” said Moosa, in correspondence with SMF News. PHOTO: Supplied/Facebook