Wafaa M Rashed, Chair and Founder of Pan-African PGS Education and Research Initiative, shared a post on LinkedIn:
“Policy Advocacy in Genetics & Genomics: From Possibility to Responsibility in Africa
We are pleased to share an insightful perspective by Dr. Sherif Kamal, Chief Scientific Officer at Tawasol Healthcare, a clinical pharmacist with over 20 years of experience, and a valued member of the PAPERI community.
In his recent blog, Dr. Kamal challenges us to rethink how genetics and genomics are positioned within African health systems. Rather than focusing on technological promise alone, he calls for policy advocacy that prioritizes integration, equity, and real clinical impact.
Key messages from his perspective include:
- The true value of genomics lies in improving patient care, not in isolated research projects or donor-driven pilots.
- Pharmacogenomics offers immediate, high-impact opportunities to reduce drug toxicity, treatment failure, and unnecessary healthcare costs.
- Genomics policy is fundamentally a design and equity question—without intentional planning, it risks becoming a privilege rather than a public health tool.
- Africa must pursue problem-driven, context-specific implementation, not replicate high-income country models.
- Sustainable progress requires investment not only in laboratories, but in people, workflows, governance, and clinical decision support.
Dr. Kamal’s contribution reinforces a critical message aligned with PAPERI’s mission:
- The future of genomics in Africa will not be shaped by technology alone, but by courageous, patient-centered policy decisions that are practical, scalable, and equitable.
We thank Dr. Sherif Kamal for sharing this timely and thought-provoking perspective and for his continued engagement with PAPERI.”
Read the Blog
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