With more than 29,000 new cases of tuberculosis detected in 2020, tuberculosis remains a significant public health problem. Morocco is committed to the fight once morest this disease and despite the many advances made, the disease remains difficult to be monitored and cured, so efforts must be maintained and strengthened.
Last March, the Ministry of Health announced the launch of the extension of the national strategic plan for the prevention and control of tuberculosis 2021-2023. This plan is part of the WHO global initiative called: Strategy to end Tuberculosis 2016-2035. To achieve sustainable development goals, Morocco is committed to strengthening screening and diagnosis to guarantee better care and regular therapeutic monitoring. Conventional 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, which not only leads to late treatment of the patient but also, a risk of contamination.
Faced with the constraints of the generalization of medical coverage, researchers from the MAScIR Foundation have developed a molecular test for the diagnosis of Tuberculosis. MAScIR is a research center under the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. This foundation aims to promote and develop research centers in the medical biology and advanced technologies sector. The MAScIR Foundation has qualified human resources and state-of-the-art equipment. This test is precise and fast, the results are delivered in 30 minutes. The Pasteur Institute in Morocco validated this test before launching its registration with the Department of Medicines and Pharmacy under the Ministry of Health and Social Protection.
