MOLDIAG LAUNCHES THE FIRST 100% MOROCCAN TUBERCULOSIS DIAGNOSTIC TEST DEVELOPED BY MAScIR

Despite the progress achieved in Morocco, tuberculosis remains a major public health issue. Indeed, in 2020, more than 29,000 new cases of tuberculosis were detected.

Being fully aware that the substantial efforts made in this area should be strengthened, the Ministry of Health announced in March 2021 the launch of the extension of the National Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Prevention and Control 2021-2023. This plan is fully aligned with the WHO’s global initiative: Strategy to End TB 2016-2035.

In this context, Morocco is committed to achieving sustainable development goals, namely reducing the number of deaths related to tuberculosis. This goal will be achieved by strengthening screening and early diagnosis for better care and regular therapeutic follow-up.

The arsenal of classical diagnostic tests (clinical examination, chest X-ray, traditional bacteriological examination of sputum) although useful, remain slow and require a delay of up to 8 weeks. This delay leads to late treatment of the patient, not to mention the risk of contamination that it implies. On the other hand, tests for the identification of the genetic material of tuberculosis, which are accurate and rapid (about 2 hours), are imported and expensive solutions.

Sensitive to the constraints related to the generalization of healthcare coverage, MAScIR Foundation researchers have developed a molecular test for the diagnosis of tuberculosis that has the advantage of being accurate and fast, delivering results in 30 minutes. This test has been approved by the Pasteur Institute in Morocco and has been registered with the Directorate of Medicines and Pharmacy of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.

The MAScIR TB SS-LAMP test, combined with a mobile and connected digital device (Rapid-LoopAmp-12), is a solution that facilitates diagnosis closer to patients and at controlled costs. This solution, which is also developed by the Foundation’s teams, is in the process of obtaining CE certification.