First meeting of the NEPAD/NABNet T2D initiative
Project title:
“Multidisciplinary investigation of the genetic risk factors of type II Diabetes (T2D) and its complications in North Africa ”
12-14 May 2008, Tunis , Tunisia
Background
Following the call for proposals disseminated at December 2007 by NEPAD/NABNet secretariat, many team leaders from North african countries have presented joint regional contributions in various areas of priority for research and development announced in the call. The proposals included a "Type 2 Diabetes initiative" presented by Dr Sonia ABDELHAK on behalf of Algerian, Egyptian, Mauritanian, Moroccan and Tunisian teams. The concept suggested was considered suitable since it fits into the frame of the call and an exchange between NEPAD, NABNet and Dr ABDELHAK was processed during the last months to improve the proposal. These exchanges as well as the discussions of the meeting held at 12-14 May will be taken into account in the final version to be finalized soon.
It can be mentioned in particular that the institutions to which the involved teams belong, are pioneers in the region in terms of encouraging research and strengthening use of biotechnology for development purpose in the area of Human health especially in genetic diseases. These institutions are holding programs dealing with the theme developed in the project, and the teams have an adequate skill and international notability and are developing research programs involving young researchers. Moreover the teams, when considered together, have the adequate background relating to the subject and the skill and facilities to deal with T2D research and related applied aspects.
Based on that, a meeting gathering the team leaders in this initiative, was agreed by NEPAD and has been scheduled to follow up with the submitted proposal and to initiate a regional research process.
Venue and participants
The meeting was held in Institut Pasteur de Tunis, Tunis , Tunisia during three days: 12 th–14 th May 2008.
Prof Hechemi LOUZIR Director of Institut Pasteur de Tunis welcomed the participants and encouraged their initiative and promised support for the project at various levels.
The team leaders who attended this meeting were as follows:
Dr Soraya BEN HAMAMOUCH: Laboratory of Immunology, Department of Biotechnology, Oran University , Oran , Algeria .
Dr Yehia Zakaria GAD: Department of Medical Molecular Genetics, National Research Center , Cairo , Egypt
Dr Ahmed OULD HOUMEIDA: Laboratory of Biochemistry, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université de Nouakchott , Mauritania .
Dr Abdelhamid BARAKET: Laboratoire de Génétique Moléculaire Humaine, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca , Morocco
Dr Sonia ABDELHAK : Laboratory of Molecular investigation of genetic orphan diseases, Institut Pasteur de Tunis , Tunis , Tunisia
The meeting was attended also by other Tunisian investigators from Dr ABDELHAK team in Institut Pasteur and other collaborators from various Tunisian institutions:
Abdelmajid Abid: Prof, National Institute of Nutrition, Tunis
Slim Ben Ammar, Prof, Dept of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Tunis , Head of the Dept of Biochemistry, Institut Pasteur de Tunis.
Imen Arfa, Post Doc, PhD to be defended by June 2008
Sonia Nouira, PhD student
Nizar Ben Halim, PhD student,
Hazar Belli, PhD student
Khaled Lasram, Master student
LOGISTICS:
Participants from outside Tunisia received their tickets and 80 US$/day from NEPAD/NABNet. Some complementary expenses to the meeting came also from NABNet. Stationary supplies, lunch and breaks expenses of the participants were offered graciously by Dr ABDELHAK Laboratory.
Saloua Chater secretary and Fatma Habachi factotum helped with the logistics.
Agenda of the meeting
12 May 08: Comprehensive discussion on basic common methodologies and approaches, and adequacy with the North African health sector needs and conditions
13 May 08 : Discussion of the project including the workplan (tasks, milestones, time line, responsible teams for deliverables…), its management, monitoring and evaluation
14 May 08 : Context for implementing the project: reporting, funds and following up. Strategy for extension, expansion and marketing the project. Contracting, Material transfer agreements, ethical aspects…
Background of the NEPAD/NABNet T2D teams and their expectation/contribution from/to the project
Along the discussions, the five leaders with their collaborators from various institutions (Nutritionists, Medical doctors, Biologists, Clinicians…) seemed to lead coherent groups in their countries and have close relationship with the universities through their young students and direct collaborators. They also have a respectable notability which promises for expanding the project in its development phase. The plethora of technologies available to the teams and their skill make it conceivable that they will follow up friendly throughout the region with the project. However some of the team leaders have difficulties for managing funds. Fortunately they agreed to use their funds efficiently through Institut Pasteur of Tunis that seemed to have the experience of managing funds for the benefit of teams working outside the country (management of E.C. projects). Procedures of disbursement and fund management as well as implementation of the tasks, will be established to guarantee transparent use of funds to the benefit of each team and for the overall good progress of the project.
The T2D group can play at the regional level a central role for showing to the policy makers and to the North African society, the ability to take place for a North African human genetic disease group. The next months will be crucial to demonstrate if the group can really assume this leadership. The team leaders seemed to have a long experience of working in wide consortia, and are all involved in international collaboration programs. They expressed their adhesion to NEPAD Principles including building on prior knowledge rather than creating from scratch, adding value to their Ongoing national programs rather than launching a new project. They agreed on sharing costs and benefits among them and with NEPAD based on the fact that they own their initiative. They agreed on sharing their program with stakeholders of the region and develop efforts for expanding it to Africa and use their progress for higher level involvement in International initiatives.
Design of the project
The participants discussed about the proposed document at the conceptual and implementing levels. The project is conceived as a two phases project. The phase 1 is supported from CIDA/NEPAD Fund to acquire consumables and spare parts and allocating fellowships for students and training activities to follow up with the project activities. This fund will support also meetings of the team leaders to follow up with the project's progress and associating expertise from the region and Africa as well as from international bodies. This phase 1 corresponds to an initiating phase whereas the phase 2 will be a development phase and depend on the support from structures and institutions in North Africa and internationally.
Below is presented a general outline of the design of the Phase 1. A comprehensive document of the proposal will be presented by the group based on the discussions of the meeting before 15 June together with a progress report covering the Ongoing activities. The five team leaders as the scientific committee of the project will interact to achieve these tasks and Dr Sonia Abdelhak will manage this common effort and follow up with NEPAD/NABNet.
Major Goal :
Development of an integral approach and relevant methodologies for the diagnosis and prevention of T2D and undermining its complications in North African populations. On the long term, this will improve the health status in the region and generate economic and social benefits.
General Objectives:
-Establishment of ethical procedures and routine arrangements for material exchange;
-Development of common methodologies for material collection, technical analyses, data gathering, data analysis and data base organisation.
-Generation of new knowledge for genetic background of T2D in North African populations.
-Identification of tools and markers for diagnosis of T2D and its complications
-Initiation of a concerted regional strategy against T2D and its complications involving research institutions, medical schools and hospitals, and other related stakeholders
A detailed workplan and its implementation strategy were agreed and will accompany the full proposal document
Expected outcomes:
-New knowledge available to the scientific communities about T2D and its complications
-(Tools and markers availed for the diagnosis of T2D)
-Regional strategies for prevention of T2D and its complications initiated
Extending and expanding the T2D initiative
The group agreed to do its best to produce results and to generate impact during 2008 and 2009. During this period other teams in the region will be harnessed for input and will be involved in the project to be prepared during this time frame and be implemented later during the phase 2 that will be initiated at 2010. To this end, the group will pursue its international effort for valorising this NEPAD initiative and will develop various complementary links. " On the other side, an effort will be made to meet the need of the development sector by inter alia initiating some pilot trials for diagnosis and prevention of T2D in the region". These efforts are destined also to strengthen the project so it can be marketed by NEPAD with potential sponsors nationally and internationally, and used as a platform for involving the team in skilled consortia seeking high level international collaborative projects
Follow-up
Based on the discussions of the various items of the meeting agenda and taking into account the comprehensive discussion of the state of the art in the region, the methodologies, the tasks, deliverables and time line, A progress report as well as the full proposal document will be prepared before 15 June. In parallel contracts and MTA will be finalised and signed. It is expected that the first fund transfer to the participants will be done before the end of June.
Mohamed Elarbi Aouani
NEPAD/NABNet Director
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